On August 14th, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) and Healthy Caribbean Youth (HCY) hosted an engaging Instagram Live discussion titled When the School Bell Rings – What’s in Your School Food Environment in anticipation of the upcoming regional activity – Hope for the Future in September 2024. The recent Hope for the Future events in The Bahamas and Montserrat on July 3 and July 5, 2024, respectively, set a strong precedent, as youth advocates in these regions already championed the call for improved school food environments across the Caribbean. This virtual conversation brought together a panel of youth advocates, Dr. Tiffanie Skerritt (CARICOM Youth Ambassador, Montserrat), Ms. Natalia Burton, Ms. Zian Rolle (Youth Advocate, The Bahamas) and moderator Ms. Danielle Walwyn (HCC Advocacy Officer and HCY Lead) who shared their experiences, insights, and solutions for creating healthier school food environments.
A central theme was the overwhelming influence of marketing on children’s dietary choices. Danielle and Natalia both emphasized the urgent need for policies to curb the pervasive marketing of unhealthy foods, with Natalia specifically highlighting the widespread nature of this issue in Jamaica. The discussion also delved into advocacy and policy development, with Tiffanie sharing her experiences in Montserrat, where a draft policy addressing school food environments is being developed. She underscored the importance of involving young people in the process and collaborating with civil society organizations to ensure the policy moves from draft to implementation.
The session concluded with reflections on the power of youth advocacy. Zian and Natalia highlighted the crucial role of education and policy in shaping healthier food environments and urged continued persistence and collaboration with local and regional organizations. Panelists stressed the need to share relevant data, amplify the lived experiences of individuals—such as young persons living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs)—and highlight global and regional commitments to health.
Their message resonated clearly: to ensure a healthier future, we must start by reshaping the environments where our children learn and grow today. The discussion, commemorating International Youth Day, served as a powerful reminder that youth voices are essential in advocating for healthier school environments, and achieving meaningful change will require comprehensive approaches, including policy reforms, education, and community engagement, to ensure a lasting and positive impact on the health of our youth.
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