A Kids/Youth Training was held for 32 students from 27 October to 2 November 2014 in Port Salut, Haiti. The program was organized by Reef Check in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Program/Cote Sud Initiative and Ministry of Environment staff. The students came from two schools, Carpentier and Point Sable. The goal was to give the students an introduction to swimming, snorkeling and marine science.
The instructors in the course were Stephen Jean Louis, Hugues Ybrahim (formerly with Reef Check, now MDE staff), Romain Louis, Erika Pierre Louis, Kethia Florestal, and Nicolas Florestal of Reef Check Haiti. Training materials were prepared in Kreyol by Lunandja Philogene, Edward Beucler and Erika Pierre Louis.
Following the initial training, the students’ swimming and snorkeling abilities were assessed. The final two days were spent at the beach and in the water at Pt Sable and all students were given the opportunity to ride in the boat and then snorkel over the Pt Sable reef and see live fish, corals and other animals and plants. A series of swim races was held. The students were able to improve their swimming and enjoy snorkeling for the first time.