News
TCI Junior Achievers Excitedly Prepare for Company Program Closing Day
#TurksandCaicos, January 28, 2022 – There is a feeling of both excitement and anxiety in the air as Turks & Caicos Junior Achievers move toward the close-out of the JA TCI Company Program.
For the past five months, these teens have worked arduously to build their companies, create signature products, promote their offerings, and attend to the details of bookkeeping and reporting, shareholder engagements, financial reporting, and now, the formal dissolution and final summaries of those companies.
The past few weeks have presented a challenge to the groups with in-person company meetings impossible while at-home learning was the necessary order of the day. Still, the groups have persevered and overcome those hurdles, ensuring they made use of the outlets available to them to continue making strides.
In just under two weeks, the JA TCI Company Program will come to a close with Achievers currently making preparations to deliver final requirements to the organization’s Board of Directors and a judging panel who will evaluate the companies’ operations and hear from the Achievers themselves on the final day.
Throughout the course of the Company Program, JA TCI ensures Achievers are given all the necessary tools to tackle
the tasks at hand as proficiently as possible. As the groups prepare to present their company summaries, they will be given access to public speaking training on Saturday, January 29th where members of Toastmasters and other professionals in the public speaking arena will provide guidance on the key ingredients to memorable and impactful delivery when presenting. By then, the Achievers will have submitted all final business plans and will use the final days to put the finishing touches on their oral company presentations.
February 5th, 2022 marks the Final Competition and Awards Ceremony for the program. With a maximum permitted time of 10 minutes, each group will make a powerful presentation to a panel of judges. They will then navigate a judges’ interview session of up to 10 minutes where the panel will pose questions based on the reports and the allocution provided by each group. This portion of the day begins at 10 am.
The groups then assemble at the Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort and Spa Villages West Caicos Conference Room for an evening of celebration and awards, where the judges’ decisions will be revealed.
Awards for Most Outstanding JA Company will be bestowed on the top three companies, with other categories – Most Profitable Company, Social Media Award, Most Innovative Product/Service – also being awarded. The Achievers, sponsors, mentors, and friends of the program will be treated to a wonderful evening of camaraderie as they celebrate their hard work and accomplishments over the past five months.
Director of JA TCI, Angela Musgrove, shared “The close out of the Company Program is often bittersweet for us – it is an exciting time, but we are always a bit sad to see it end. The beauty of Junior Achievement, though, is that once you are a part of the program, you are always a part of the JA family. We are exceptionally proud of these Achievers and the work they have done, and we are eager to see them present and to celebrate their accomplishments with them on February 5th.”
Musgrove says the Junior Achievement Board of Directors continues to extend thanks to the sponsors of the JA Company Program and hopes to have them all on board again.
This year the program was honoured to have COMO Parrot Cay, Building Materials Ltd/Do it Center, Beaches Resort Villages & Spa, Projetech Construction Management, TCI Financial Services Commission, Grace Bay Car Rentals, The Strand, and FLOW TCI as sponsors to students from Raymond Gardiner High School, Edward Gartland Youth Centre, Louise Garland Thomas High School, Clement Howell High School, Maranatha Academy High School, Wesley Methodist High School, and Marjorie Basden High School.
By Deandrea Hamilton
June 9, 2026 – The world has just four years left to deliver on one of its most ambitious environmental commitments: protecting 30 percent of the planet’s oceans by 2030.
On World Oceans Day 2026, environmental organizations, governments and international leaders are shifting the conversation away from
awareness and toward action, urging countries to turn decades of promises into measurable protection for marine ecosystems.
The theme for this year’s observance — “Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet” — is a direct challenge to governments to move beyond declarations and establish meaningful protections for ocean habitats, fisheries and biodiversity.
The urgency is especially relevant in the Caribbean, where economies, jobs and entire communities depend on healthy oceans.
From tourism and fishing to transportation and climate resilience, the sea is the region’s most valuable natural resource.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that humanity can no longer treat the ocean as limitless.
“In these turbulent times, the ocean reminds us that we are bound together,” Guterres said. “But the ocean is in deep trouble.”
The global push follows the recent ratification of the High Seas Treaty, designed to protect marine biodiversity beyond national waters. Together with the international 30×30 target, the agreement represents one of the largest conservation efforts ever attempted.
Closer to home, Caribbean nations are also advancing ocean protection initiatives.
CARICOM says it is developing a regional Ocean Policy aimed at strengthening marine governance and supporting sustainable blue economies.
In the Turks and Caicos Islands, World Oceans Day coincides with the tenth anniversary of the Blue Belt Programme, which has focused on
protecting marine resources while supporting sustainable use of the Territory’s waters.
In The Bahamas, conservation advocates are encouraging citizens to reconnect with the ocean and recognize its value not only as a source of recreation, but as the foundation of national prosperity.
Yet conservationists say government action alone will not be enough.
Protecting the ocean begins with everyday decisions: reducing pollution, respecting marine habitats, supporting sustainable fishing practices, participating in clean-up efforts and holding leaders accountable for environmental commitments.
The message of World Oceans Day 2026 is straightforward.
The promises have been made.
The treaties have been signed.
The targets have been announced.
Now comes the hard part: protecting the ocean before time runs out.
Developed by Deandrea Hamilton • with ChatGPT (AI) • edited by Magnetic Media.
By Deandrea Hamilton
For more than five decades, Peabo Bryson’s unmistakable voice provided the soundtrack to love stories around the world.
The two-time Grammy Award winner, affectionately regarded by many as R&B’s “Duet King,” died on June 2 at the age of 75, days after
suffering a stroke. Family members said he passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones.
While younger audiences may remember him as the voice behind Disney classics Beauty and the Beast and A Whole New World, Bryson’s legacy was built long before Hollywood came calling.
Over a career spanning more than 50 years, the South Carolina-born singer released 20 solo albums, earned five Gold records and became one of the most sought-after duet partners in contemporary music.
Few artists mastered the art of collaboration as effortlessly as Bryson.
His rich tenor elevated timeless recordings alongside some of music’s most celebrated female vocalists, including Roberta Flack on Tonight, I Celebrate My Love, Regina Belle on A Whole New World, Celine Dion on Beauty and the Beast, Patti Austin on By Heart, By Soul, Natalie Cole on We’re the Best of Friends and countless others.
Yet he was equally successful as a solo performer.
Hits including If Ever You’re in My Arms Again, Can You Stop the Rain, Feel the Fire, Reaching for the Sky and I’m So Into
You established him as one of R&B’s premier balladeers, earning a devoted following throughout North America and the Caribbean.
Bryson’s greatest commercial success came in the 1990s when Disney selected him to perform two animated-film love songs that became global sensations. Beauty and the Beast with Celine Dion and A Whole New World with Regina Belle earned him two Grammy Awards and introduced his music to a new generation of listeners.
But for many longtime fans, it was the romance, warmth and sincerity of his earlier recordings that defined his greatness.
In an era crowded with powerful voices, Peabo Bryson stood apart by making every duet feel personal and every love song believable.
His voice may be gone, but the music remains — a catalogue filled with timeless ballads, unforgettable partnerships and memories that continue to resonate across generations.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
This angle is stronger than a standard obituary because it focuses on what made Peabo unique. There have been great singers, great balladeers and great hitmakers. There was really only one “Duet King.”
Government Advances Policy Aimed at Consumer Protection and Higher Business Standards
By Deandrea Hamilton
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands — Efforts to improve product quality, strengthen consumer protections and raise business standards across the Turks and Caicos Islands are moving into a new phase as government advances implementation of its National Quality Policy.
The Department of Trade, Industry and Fair Competition announced that a team of consultants spent a week in the Turks and Caicos
Islands meeting with key public and private sector stakeholders as part of the policy’s implementation process.
Approved by Cabinet in October 2024, the National Quality Policy is designed to establish a national quality infrastructure that supports trade, protects consumers and improves the competitiveness of local businesses.
For consumers, the long-term goal is straightforward: greater confidence that products and services meet accepted standards for quality, safety and reliability.
For businesses, the initiative aims to encourage stronger quality management systems that can improve efficiency, build customer trust and create opportunities for expansion into regional and international markets.
During the May 25 to 29 mission, consultants met with representatives from the National Quality Council, Pelican Energy TCI, the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority, the TCI Government Laboratory, the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association and Turks Head Brewery.
According to the Department, the consultations were intended to assess existing quality-related systems, identify gaps and gather recommendations that will help shape the Territory’s national quality infrastructure.
“The policy serves as a strategic framework for establishing a national quality infrastructure in the Turks and Caicos Islands, aimed at improving quality standards, supporting trade, protecting consumers, and enhancing economic competitiveness,” the Department said in a
statement.
Officials explained that stakeholder feedback will help determine what systems, standards and programmes are needed to strengthen quality assurance across various sectors of the economy.
The Department said the information gathered will guide the next stage of implementation and help ensure the policy delivers meaningful benefits throughout the Islands.
Among the initiatives expected to emerge from the process are a Quality Certification Programme and a series of educational workshops designed to help businesses understand and adopt quality standards.
A second round of stakeholder consultations is scheduled for June, allowing government and industry representatives to continue discussions and further assess priority areas identified during the initial mission.
Officials say the ultimate objective is to build a culture of quality that benefits consumers, businesses and the wider economy by encouraging higher standards, greater accountability and improved competitiveness.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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