St. Maarten Youth Embark on Back to Nature Erasmus+ Exchange in Germany

GREAT BAY--As part of the St. Maarten Development Fund’s Young Minds Big Ideas initiative, six young St. Maarteners have traded Wi-Fi signals for campfires, heading to Germany for the Back to Nature Erasmus+ Youth Exchange. The program began on August 11 at Campingplatz Juliusplate in Berne, a serene riverside campsite near Bremen, where Sahar, Breanna, Anahi, Trishala, Rene, and Reyshon have joined more than 40 peers from across Europe.

Over the next six days, the group will set aside screens and social media in favor of camping, cooking, storytelling, and shared adventures designed to build leadership, confidence, and cross-cultural understanding.

The Young Minds Big Ideas initiative gives St. Maarten’s youth the opportunity to step beyond the island through international exchanges, youth-led community projects, and volunteer placements abroad. In this case, SMDF’s German partner, NaturKultur e.V., has created a program that encourages participants to be fully present and learn from one another while immersing themselves in nature.

For most of the group, it is their first time in Europe, a chance to explore new cultures, share their own, and form connections that reach far beyond borders.

Also in Bremen is Princess Vaswani, a St. Maartener on a month-long volunteer placement with the European Solidarity Corps. While not part of the Erasmus+ group, she plays a key role on the organizing team, guiding activities, bridging cultures, and inspiring participants to step outside their comfort zones.

“These programs aren’t just about travel. They’re about giving young people the chance to grow in spaces that challenge and inspire them,” said Sabine Smith, EU Program Coordinator at SMDF. “We’ve seen firsthand how impactful that can be, not just for the participants but for the communities they return to.”

SMDF remains the only organization on St. Maarten with the EU Quality Label as both a lead and sending organization — an accreditation from the European Union that recognizes its capacity to manage and support volunteering projects.

The Back to Nature exchange was made possible through the European Commission’s Erasmus+ program and the generosity of the local community, including Ms. Barbara Cannegieter, Cavalier Logistics, Captain’s Rib Shack, Lagoon Marina, Tortuga Restaurant, BZSE Attorneys-at-Law, Port St. Maarten, Puro Coffee, and T-Shirt Maxx.

“It means a great deal to us that local businesses and individuals stepped forward without hesitation,” said SMDF Director Makhicia Brooks. “Their support is more than financial, it’s a message to our youth that this community believes in them and wants to see them succeed, not just today, but in the long term.”

By the end of this month, ten young people from St. Maarten will have taken part in exchanges abroad through Erasmus+ or the European Solidarity Corps, a milestone in SMDF’s ongoing mission to expand access to meaningful youth opportunities.

Photo caption: Six St. Maarten participants of the Back to Nature Erasmus+ Youth Exchange with fellow St. Maartener Princess Vaswani (left), in Germany for a month-long European Solidarity Corps placement, at Campingplatz Juliusplate in Berne.

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