Vacation ‘Boost’ for Mayaro students

Forty students from across the district of Mayaro are benefitting from ‘bpTT Boost’, a holistic youth development initiative launched at the Mayaro Resource Centre (MRC) on Tuesday, 15 July 2025.

Facilitated by Business Clinic and sponsored by bp Trinidad and Tobago (bpTT), the highly structured five-week programme focuses on programming, physical performance and personal potential for students between the ages of 11 and 15. 

Speaking at the camp launch was Ryan Chaitram, Vice-President, Communications and External Affairs, bpTT, “We are proud of this camp because it melds various disciplines to provide a complete developmental experience for the students. This is another avenue that bpTT has created so as to find and develop the tremendous human capital potential in our home community of Mayaro. The energy and enthusiasm of the students is reward enough, but we know that every success story is another building block towards a better and brighter future.” 

Chaitram explained that the camp will deliver training in coding and computational thinking, fostering creativity, problem-solving, and confidence in navigating the digital world. There will also be an entrepreneurship component, which will provide life skills and entrepreneurship training with the final business idea pitch. 

Adding balance to this, the physical performance component will use football and cricket to engage students in sports and fitness activities designed to promote health, discipline, teamwork, and resilience, all critical attributes for personal and academic growth.

In terms of the physical component of the camp, cricket training is being led by former West Indies player Mervyn Dillon and Mayaro-based Kofi Chase. Football is being run by homegrown professional footballer, and current Local Government Councillor, Ryan ‘Fry’ Stewart and former national player Leston Paul.

The participating students will also benefit from full access to the recently renovated MRC facility that underwent an extensive TTD $5m upgrade. The MRC is now home to first-class facilities for football, swimming, basketball and tennis, with an onsite gym as well as training classrooms that have integrated technology such as a SMART Board and audio-visual equipment.

According to Business Clinic’s camp director, Sherese Chee Mook, “Over the years, this was a leadership camp focused on life skills, entrepreneurship and problem solving. However, bpTT wanted to make it even more impactful and sustainable, so we had to ‘Boost’ it to include recreational and character-building activities that include computer-based coding and sport. At the end of the camp students will leave this camp with confidence, curiosity, practical skills and a stronger sense of purpose. We expect them to return to their schools and communities empowered to overcome challenges and inspire their peers.”
The camp is being facilitated with the assistance of current and past recipients of bpTT’s Brighter Prospects tertiary scholarship programme created for Mayaro students. 

Delivering training and assisting the main facilitators will be scholarship recipients that have degrees in extremely pertinent fields such as Psychology, Business Administration, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Agriculture, Entrepreneurship, Sport Coaching, and Kinesiology.

Summing up her conceptualisation of the camp was bpTT Brighter Prospects alumni and facilitator, Stacia Ali, “One of the main conditions of the Brighter Prospects programme is that we are expected play a part in the development of our home community of Mayaro. I can’t think of a better way to achieve this than by helping to train and inspire the next generation. bpTT and Business Clinic have created a unique space for students to explore their interests, build relationships and develop skills that will empower them to take our community and country forward.”