GREAT BAY--Young people in St. Maarten are beginning to look more critically at what they see online, while education professionals are gaining first-hand experience with practical ways to bring artificial intelligence, media literacy and digital literacy into the classroom.
After just one week of A Step Beyond, the first results of the initiative by Stichting EGO and Mediawegwijs are becoming visible. The program aims not only to help young people become more digitally and AI literate, but also to ensure that the knowledge and skills developed through the initiative remain in St. Maarten and continue to grow within the education system.
One week, two effects
The first week demonstrated that learning about the digital world is very different from simply using technology every day. Young participants did not only work with technology, they were challenged to think about what happens behind the screen.
Lessons explored questions such as how reliable online information is, how artificial intelligence can influence what people see and believe, how online images can be created or manipulated, and what choices young people themselves make when using digital platforms.
Engagement during the lessons was high, particularly because subjects such as AI and screen use are directly connected to the daily lives of young people. One education professional observing the sessions summed it up simply: “This is their world.”
Education professionals were also learning throughout the week. During afternoon train-the-trainer sessions, teachers, school directors and other education professionals went beyond learning about the Mediawegwijs approach. They worked with the technology themselves and completed the same types of assignments being introduced to students.
Experience it first, then pass it on
The hands-on approach is an important part of the program. Teaching a lesson about AI can be very different from personally experiencing what happens when using the technology. The same applies to subjects such as privacy, media literacy and other digital issues.
By exploring, experimenting and asking questions themselves, education professionals gain a better understanding of what young people encounter during a lesson. This can make it easier for them to teach the subjects later and engage students in meaningful discussions about technology and the online world.
Ilse Godtschalk, educational specialist and director of Mediawegwijs, said:
“You can hand a teacher a lesson plan and say: good luck. But that does not embed digital literacy in education. We want education professionals to first experience what a student experiences. To work with AI themselves, discover what technology does and encounter the questions that come with it. Then it is no longer simply a lesson you take from a folder, but knowledge you understand and can pass on.”
From hands-on experience to continuing independently
Following these first experiences, participating schools will take the next step through Mediawegwijs's English-language school portal. The portal provides access to a complete learning pathway covering digital literacy, AI literacy and media literacy, including ready-to-use lessons and learning objectives.
During the first week, one school director noted the value of having access to a complete learning pathway that can be put into practice immediately. This means schools do not have to create a digital literacy curriculum from the beginning, but can instead build on what their education professionals have already learned and experienced during the train-the-trainer sessions.
The approach therefore brings together two important elements: education professionals develop a practical understanding of the teaching method through first-hand experience, while schools receive the teaching materials needed to continue delivering the lessons.
Important for young people and for St. Maarten
The initiative is designed as more than a short-term introduction to technology. Artificial intelligence and other digital developments are changing young people's daily lives, education, professions and the way organizations operate.
Preparing young people for these developments also means investing in the knowledge and skills St. Maarten will need in the future.
The importance of the subject also received attention at government level during the first week. Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Melissa Gumbs attended a Mediawegwijs AI lesson for almost an hour. Afterwards, discussions focused on what digital literacy and media literacy can mean for young people and the education system in St. Maarten.
The objective goes beyond teaching young people how to use new technology. Students must also learn to understand technology, approach it critically and take advantage of the opportunities it can provide. Schools, in turn, need the knowledge, training and resources necessary to continue supporting students in that process.
Knowledge stays on the island
Mediawegwijs's activities form part of A Step Beyond, the year-long program by Stichting EGO led by Ria Uiterloo. The program runs until June 2027 and is focused on bringing different partners together while ensuring that development continues beyond the intensive teaching weeks.
For Mediawegwijs, a central goal is ensuring that although its educators will eventually leave St. Maarten, the knowledge remains.
During the second week, both young participants and education professionals will continue with the program. Mediawegwijs's intensive teaching period concludes on September 25. By that stage, participating schools will not only have access to lessons and teaching materials, but will also have education professionals who have experienced the approach themselves and are prepared to put it into practice.
The long-term value of the initiative therefore lies not simply in providing two weeks of digital literacy education, but in giving schools the capacity to continue independently after the intensive period concludes.
Through this approach, St. Maarten is investing not only in the young people participating today, but also in strengthening digital knowledge and skills for future generations of students.
Next stop: Statia
Following the St. Maarten component of the program, Mediawegwijs will continue to St. Eustatius, Statia.
The program will begin there on Monday with a session for teachers and lessons for students from Bethel Methodist School. Members of the media are also invited to attend the launch and experience the program first-hand.
