The success of POETA in Latin America enabled the Trust to leverage support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), CISCO Systems Inc, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Microsoft to expand the POETA program to the Caribbean. With support from these donors, the Trust adapted the POETA program to address the challenges facing youth in the Caribbean and Central America, including an HIV/AIDS epidemic, high unemployment and increasing crime and violence.
POETA Youth trains youth who have often dropped out of school and are at risk for unemployment and violence. The training includes components specifically geared to youth, including civic education and refusal skills. This program is currently operating in the Eastern Caribbean in Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines and in Central America in Guatemala and El Salvador.
