RIU launches education projects in Bahamas and Jamaica

RIU Hotels & Resorts has expanded its social outreach in the Caribbean with the launch of new education-focused initiatives in the Bahamas and Jamaica, part of the company’s broader sustainability program aimed at supporting children and communities where it operates.

The hotel chain said the projects fall under its “Proudly Committed” sustainability strategy and will focus primarily on education, child protection and community development in Nassau and Montego Bay.

In the Bahamas, RIU has launched its first social collaboration in the country through a partnership with the nonprofit organization Lend a Hand Bahamas. The initiative, which carries an initial three-year commitment, will operate from a community center in Grant’s Town and aims to support more than 200 children and young people between the ages of five and 18.

The program will provide a range of extracurricular activities designed to strengthen literacy and STEM learning — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — along with socio-emotional workshops and culinary arts training intended to help broaden opportunities for participants.

Meanwhile, in Jamaica, the company has strengthened its existing support for the Wested Educational Centre, which provides academic intervention for students who need additional help in school.

The Montego Bay-based program currently assists 77 students drawn from more than a dozen schools across the area, offering reinforcement in core subjects such as reading and mathematics.

The initiative also incorporates a daily nutrition component, providing meals for students, along with a growing digital learning program that uses tablets and other technology to enhance classroom instruction.

Despite disruptions caused by Hurricane Melissa, the center has resumed operations and continues to provide mentoring and academic support aimed at improving school retention.

According to RIU, both initiatives are guided by what the company describes as the “RIU Method,” a social investment framework that prioritizes projects focused on health, education, child protection and biodiversity.

With the addition of the Bahamas partnership and expanded support in Jamaica, the company said the initiatives now form part of a wider global network of more than 90 partner organizations working with RIU on community and environmental projects.