WHO WE ARE

The Sint Maarten National Heritage Foundation & Museum promotes and researches legislation to protect, maintain and restore (marine) parks and locations on- and off-shore in the interest of ecology and the environment. This foundation promotes archeological excavations and other historical exploration on, in, and around the island of Sint Maarten. They organize courses and seminars, tours and exhibitions in the subject of history and nature and they organize excursions promoting the above objectives. The organization operates a museum where artifacts, books and documents of historical value are exhibited. The field of Sint Maarten flora and fauna is also represented.

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Home Away from Home is a senior organization that aims to provide engaging, creative, and socially enriching activities for seniors. They hope to enhance the social interaction, promote creativity, improve mental and physical health, and provide a platform for seniors to showcase their talents. This foundation has been founded in 2003 and its main objective is to ensure that their members enjoy life fully after retirement.

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The Senior Citizen Recreational Center is also focused on the wellbeing of the elderly. They provide their senior citizens the possibility to socialize & interact with each other through various activities, on a weekly basis, which stimulate the seniors’ social skills, while having fun as well.

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Hearts United Holistic Care Foundation is a non-profit organization which is established to provide a holistic and conducive environment with direct focus on providing care and support to the elderly, individuals and family units on St. Maarten and the surrounding islands. Support may take the form of feeding, mentoring, counseling, seminars / trainings, rehabilitation and elderly care to shut-ins and those that are in need.

 

WHAT WE DO

The cultural foundation will develop and facilitate cultural tours, scavenger hunts and story-telling events for the neighborhood of Philipsburg to highlight the culture, the heritage, the flora and fauna of Sint Maarten. They will execute multiple tours, story-telling events, and scavenger hunts with the target groups (the two elderly organizations and the school children). These events will be refined based on the experiences of the participants. These developed events will be done with and for some primary and secondary schools in the neighborhood of Philipsburg. Additionally, the senior organizations will also be the recipients of 1 or more tours, though can also be included in any of the events as storytellers.

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For these events, the project ‘Stories of the Past’ is willing to share any completed storytelling portraits (live or recorded) for this purpose. The budget encompasses the development of the materials, the costs of tour guides, the transportation, the marketing and communication and possible refreshments. Additionally, the purchase of tablets/phones for an e-event can be included.

 

WHO WE SERVE

Primary schools in the Philipsburg area and Secondary schools in the Philipsburg area are the target groups. Specifically, the Sint Joseph, Sister Borgia, and Oranje school will be enjoying the developed activities. Additionally, for secondary education: the Charlotte Brookson Academy and the Sundial will join. These children will become more aware and educated on the Sint Maarten Culture, Environment, Ecology, and History through these activities and therefore can become advocates themselves.

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For the participating elderly organizations, the participants will also become more aware and educated on the Sint Maarten Culture, Environment, Ecology, and History though can also contribute to the cultural tours through story-telling and history capturing in a more impromptu manner. These ad hoc human interactions and additions can be extremely valuable to the quality and entertainment of the historic tours.