KRALENDIJK —Education care professionals from Saba, Sint Eustatius and Bonaire gathered on Bonaire for a week of workshops and professional exchange as EC2 Saba and ECE Sint Eustatius marked their 15th anniversaries.
Photo: EC2/ECE
The gathering brought the two teams together with colleagues from EOZ Bonaire to compare approaches to supporting children with additional educational and developmental needs. Although the organisations share similar goals, the exchange highlighted differences in how services are organised and delivered on each island.
For EC2 Saba, the anniversary marks substantial growth. The organisation began with one staff member and now has a multidisciplinary team of fourteen, supporting children and young adults from birth to age 23. Its staff includes special education teachers, teaching assistants, personal educational assistants and specialists in language, early intervention, education, pedagogy and talent development. A psychologist is expected to join the team later this year.
During the gathering, participants attended sessions on trauma-sensitive education, Conscious Discipline, inclusive education and self-care. EC2 shared its experience with early intervention support and special education classrooms, and led sessions on giftedness and positive psychology.
ECE Sint Eustatius contributed information about its own programmes and activities, including ECE Connect, a mathematics workshop and its Open House. Reflecting on the exchange, the organisation highlighted lessons on adapting teaching for gifted children and the influence of communication on children’s development, behaviour and well-being.
The discussions also focused on the importance of building relationships with children and supporting the adults around them. On Saba, EC2 works with parents, the Baby Clinic, daycare, Sacred Heart School and Saba Comprehensive School. Based on the second floor of Sacred Heart School, its services cover learning, behaviour, early intervention, talent development and social-emotional support.
Both organisations see further cooperation between the islands as a way to strengthen their work. ECE identified follow-up exchange visits as an opportunity to examine how other centres operate and which approaches could be adapted locally. It also pointed to the potential benefits of expanding its team with staff from additional professional backgrounds.
The gathering provided a basis for continued contact between specialists across the three islands, allowing them to share resources and experience while responding to the different needs of their communities.
Over the past year, EC2 has continued to grow both in size and in strength. Our team has expanded from 11 to 15 dedicated professionals, each bringing unique expertise and passion to support our students in the best possible way. This growth reflects our commitment to continuously improving the quality of our support. By broadening the range of specializations within our team, we are better equipped than ever to meet the diverse needs of our learners.
Recently, we welcomed a Behavior Coach who works closely with students to strengthen social-emotional skills, support positive behavior, and create a safe and structured learning environment. In addition, a Talent Coach has joined our team, focusing on helping students discover and develop their individual strengths, motivation, and personal goals.
We have also expanded our team of PEA’s, adding two new professionals who play a vital role in providing daily guidance and personalized support in the classroom.
Together, these additions allow us to offer a more holistic and tailored approach, ensuring that every student receives the attention, structure, and encouragement they need to thrive.
At EC2, we continue to invest in people—because we believe that strong, diverse expertise is the foundation for meaningful learning and lasting impact.
Policy Officer for the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science at the National Government Department Caribbean Netherlands RCN/OCW Mirella Thijm holds up the Education Agenda document after the signing. At left, Expertise Center EC2 Saba Director Annelies Buurmeijer, in the center Commissioner Eviton Heyliger, and at right, Executive Director of the school board of the Sacred Heart School and Saba Comprehensive School Anton Hermans.
Saba, Bonaire, and the Netherlands on Wednesday, July 5, signed the Education Agenda which aims to further improve the quality of education on the two islands.
Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science Robbert Dijkgraaf, Saba Commissioner of Education Eviton Heyliger and Bonaire Commissioner of Education Jolinda Craane signed the Education Agenda on behalf of their government. For Saba, the education agenda was also signed by the Executive Director of the school board of the Sacred Heart School and Saba Comprehensive School Anton Hermans, and Expertise Center EC2 Saba Director Annelies Buurmeijer.
The collaboration focuses on, among other things, recruiting and informing of education personnel, professionalizing of the school boards, attention to multilingual education, the upkeep of school buildings, a better transition to secondary education, and the development of a vision for digital literacy.
The agreements were secured in an Educational Agenda per island which was signed during a digital gathering. The details of the agreement will be worked out and published in August. The agendas will be implemented in the new school year. This is the third Education Agenda and it will be valid up to and including the school year 2026/2027. The Ministry of OCW is still talking with the involved parties on St. Eustatius to also draft an education agenda with this island.
Minister Dijkgraaf said that the education agendas for Saba and Bonaire contained important themes that would be worked on in the coming years. “This agenda will take education further and realize improvements that are so necessary. I am convinced that by working together, we can reach our ambitions, raise our common goal,” he said.
Dijkgraaf said that during his visits earlier this year, he saw the beauty of the islands, how education was organized, and the work that was being done to strengthen education. “We keep looking at how we can further strengthen our relations, how we can help each other and learn from each other,” he said.
Commissioner Heyliger signed the Third Education Agenda on behalf of the Public Entity Saba. He said in his short speech that the signing showed “another milestone of achievement” in education on Saba.
According to Heyliger, the integral approach that the Ministry of OCW took with the educational stakeholders on Saba was much appreciated. “It shows that when we work collectively, we can achieve great things. This collaboration also shows great commitment to a continuous working relationship and a further strengthening of education on Saba and the other Caribbean Netherlands islands,” he said.
“We have already accomplished a lot. This education agenda contains many important aspects that will help our children to grow and excel,” said Executive Director Hermans, who emphasized that for Saba, housing was a cardinal issue. “Let’s make great things happen in the interest of our children,” Hermans added.
Bonaire Commissioner Craane said that multilingual education was very important for Bonaire’s children to do better in school. She said that school buildings also required improvements. The commissioners and the minister thanked the teams for drafting up the education agenda.
Queen Máxima (top, left) paid a virtual visit to EC2 in Saba and talked with the staff, students and parents about the special needs assistance that the organisation provides.
THE HAGUE/SABA–Queen Máxima paid a virtual visit to Saba’s Expertise Centre Education Care EC2 on Thursday. Officials of EC2 and the Oranje Fund, parents and students participated in an animated, open talk with the Queen.
EC2 won an Orange Apple (“Appeltje van Oranje”) of the Oranje Fund last year for its Ways to Wellbeing project, which offers comprehensive support to vulnerable students to improve their mental well-being.
Ways to Wellbeing was initiated after Hurricane Irma in 2017 to boost the resilience of Saba students, and during the current COVID-19 pandemic it has shown many benefits for children and youngsters in need of special care. EC2 has about 50 participants and plays a cardinal role in Saba’s educational system since there is no special needs school.
Thursday’s visit by Queen Máxima, the patron of the Oranje Fund together with her husband King Willem-Alexander, took place digitally due to the pandemic. Oranje Fund Director Sandra Jetten opened the digital gathering after which EC2 Director Henriëtte “Jet” van Heijnsbergen explained a bit about what EC2 does and how Ways to Wellbeing works.
“Without well-being, there is no learning,” said Van Heijnsbergen, explaining that EC2 and its staff invested in how children learn best with their challenge. Sitting next to Van Heijnsbergen during the online session was Trisha Gumbs of the Centre for Youth and Family and the Sacred Heart School Board.
Gumbs explained that many parents did not have it easy in Saba with issues such as poverty, domestic violence, single parenthood and multiple problems facing families. Madelyn Johnson of Saba Reach Foundation and the Saba Comprehensive School Board confirmed this. “EC2 helps to take away stigmatisation and helps the children cope with their situation,” said Johnson.
“We always say there is no taboo at EC2. We are very open and we look for the strength in a student. We look at the child from every angle. And we include the parents in the process,” said Van Heijnsbergen.
With EC2 located right in the centre between the primary and secondary school, EC2 staff is never far from the classrooms for a talk with teachers, and to observe and assist students. For the students, it is easy that EC2 is so close by for individual activities. “You find us in the classroom, in meetings with stakeholders and teachers, [and – Ed.] in one-on-one sessions with students,” said former EC2 psychologist Rayann Ramdin, who helped to develop Ways to Wellbeing.
Queen Máxima was interested in the work of EC2 and the well-being of the Saba children, and asked many questions about, for example, the kind of help that the EC2 participants get, and what more was needed to ensure that the children were receiving the maximum care.
The Queen further enquired about the use of arts and creativity after Van Heijnsbergen told her that this was one of the methods used to help the children develop and also to become more resilient.
Volunteer Claire Mandolado, who started at EC2 six years ago after her nephew was diagnosed with autism, explained about the three-box system for autistic children which includes pictograms of the activities that aid in giving more structure and clarity for the student.
The pandemic has added to the unpredictability for Saba students, explained Ramdin. Queen Máxima asked what the effect of the pandemic had been on the students’ mental health. Ramdin confirmed that this has added stress and anxiety for the students, and that more students were being referred to EC2 since the pandemic.
Queen Máxima was eager to hear about the students and parents themselves. Student Amanda Clarke and her mother Natalee Clarke, and student Ysora Smith and her mother Verianica Smith, with EC2 psychologist Stacey Gomez next to them, spoke with the Queen about their challenges and how EC2 was helping them. Amanda explained how she learned to cope with her anxiety, and Ysora with her dyslexia.
Queen Máxima asked the students about the specific assistance they received and how it helped to improve their grades and become more resilient. She encouraged the students to keep working on their talents, and she complimented the mothers for being so dedicated and for being an inspiration. Before the closing of the digital visit, the Queen thanked everyone for their openness, and said she hoped to see everyone the next time she was in Saba.
SABA — Expertise Center Education Care on Saba, better known as EC2, recently hosted a special event to commemorate the organization’s 10th anniversary, to celebrate receiving the ‘Appeltje van Oranje’ award, to bid farewell to six team members and to welcome six new team members.
EC2 is Saba’s specialized organization to provide supporting services to schools for students and teachers in case of a specific care question. Since this schoolyear, EC2 also offers specialist care arrangements, catered to the individual needs of students.
EC2 was founded in 2011 by current Director Henriette “Jet” van Heijnsbergen. Through her relentless input and that of the board members and team members, EC2 grew from one fulltime employee (FTE) in 2011 to 10 FTE in 10 years, giving assistance to more children and further professionalizing the organization and the care that it provides. On June 1, 2021, EC2 won an ‘Appeltje van Oranje’ award (Orange Apple Award) of the Oranje Fund in the Netherlands with its Ways to Wellbeing project. During the special event on August 21, the award was presented to the invited guests and the Saba people. Director Van Heijnsbergen thanked the entire EC2 team, (past) colleagues and coaches for their dedication, inspiration and support.
Ways to Wellbeing is a multi-faceted approach to nurture the mental wellness of vulnerable students facing challenges by developing four key dimensions of wellness: intellectual, emotional, social and physical. EC2 started Ways to Wellbeing to help the special needs, vulnerable children cope with trauma after the big 2017 hurricanes, the current COVID-19 pandemic, and challenges with isolation, stress within their family, bullying, unaddressed learning issues and family displacement.
During the event, EC2 said goodbye to six team members: Youth Development Specialist/Psychologist Rayann Ramdin, Speech & Language Specialist Esmeralda “Essie” van Hoek, Occupational Therapist D’Antoinette “Dee” Sorton, Behavior Coach Quirine Hakkaart and Personal Education Assistants LeShayne Charles and Esmelysa Solano Garcia. Six new team members were welcomed: Psychologist Stacey Gomez from Trinidad, Speech & Language Specialist Che’vonne James from St. Maarten, Behavior Coach Fleur Kregting from the Netherlands, Special Education teacher Ann Jeffrey from Sint Maarten and Personal Education Assistants Claire Mandolado and Olivia Johnson from Saba.
During her speech, Director Van Heijnsbergen several times referred to the EC2 logo, which is a kite. For the 10th anniversary, a balloon with 10 has been added to the logo. Since its start, EC2 has had a kite in its logo because it stands for three important qualities: playfulness, movement and its ability to rise to great heights. As for the first quality, Van Heijnsbergen said that whatever the issue, the EC2 team starts from the perspective of the student, incorporating play and action in the sessions.
The second quality has to do with movement and how EC2 responds to that: with children all being different, with their own individual talents and needs, EC2 has to be flexible and adapt. And, thirdly, a kite can soar and rise to unexpected heights once steered properly in the wind making the best use of external factors. Therefore, EC2 plans and accommodates for students while taking their home situation and other factors into consideration. The event on August 21 was opened by EC2 board member Madelyn Johnson.
Interim-principal of the Sacred Heart Primary School Willem-Jan van Hest completed the festive evening with a toast for the EC2 team, past and present, the EC2 board as well as the students and teachers.
