Webinar | Spanish for the Caribbean: Real Stories, Real Impact
CAF -Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean- invites you to this webinar to explore how Spanish language learning can support education, employment, and strengthen cultural ties between Latin America and the Caribbean, through real stories, youth perspectives, and impactful examples of success.
Event date:
July 29, 2025
Online
Spanish is the second most spoken native language in the world, with more than 600 million speakers globally, and nearly 100 million residing outside Spanish-speaking countries. Interest in learning Spanish continues to grow steadily, with over 24 million learners worldwide in 2024, particularly in the United States, the European Union, and Brazil. This growth highlights the increasing value of Spanish within education systems and international relations (“El Español en el Mundo”, Anuario del Instituto Cervantes, 2024).
As part of its Education Strategy 2030, CAF is working to promote Spanish as a second language across the Caribbean. This aligns with CAF’s broader commitment to strengthening human capital, inclusive tourism, and regional integration. On March 20, 2025, CAF launched SOMOS – Spanish Opens More Opportunities – a regional initiative in Montego Bay, Jamaica, aimed at expanding access to Spanish learning and use across the English-speaking Caribbean. The programme supports governments, institutions, and communities in building practical language skills that open doors in trade, tourism, diplomacy, and education. SOMOS also showcases real stories from the region to highlight the value of multilingualism and shared cultural understanding.
This effort is particularly relevant in the context of CARICOM, where greater integration with Spanish-speaking Latin America is seen as key to economic diversification and regional cooperation. Expanding the number of Spanish speakers is a strategic objective for enabling deeper ties and broader opportunities.
Building on the launch initiative of SOMOS, the “Spanish for Employability” workshop in Montego Bay, and the webinar “Spanish and Books: Words That Unite Us,” this upcoming event continues to amplify regional voices and lived experiences. It will showcase how Spanish can enrich lives, empower youth and professionals, and contribute to a more connected and integrated Caribbean future.
Date: July 29.
Time: 9:00 a.m. (Jamaica time) / 10:00 a.m. (Trinidad & Barbados time)
*The webinar will be broadcast on this site
Programme
9:00 – 9:10 am | Welcome
- Dr. Stacy Richards-Kennedy. Regional Manager for the Caribbean and CAF Representative in Barbados
9:10 – 9:25 am | Spotlight Session: Young Voices
- Mr. Christopher Kirk Hurdle. Spanish Teacher, Beyond the Box Education, Barbados
- Mr. Dave Foster. Spanish Teacher, Manchester High School, Jamaica
- Moderator: Rosa Cely, CAF Consultant
9:25 - 9:35 am | Spanish in action: What the Survey says
- Dr. Malbis Aranda Ruiz-Morris. CAF Consultant
9:35 –9:55 am | Innovation in Action: Programmes That Work
Spanish Language Policy in Education: Progress and Lessons Learned
- Mr. Dev Pooma. Acting Curriculum Coordinator, Modern Languages, Ministry of Education, Trinidad and Tobago
Spanish for Work: Language Skills for Tourism Professionals
- Dr.Teresa Villoria-Nolla. Head of Department, Modern Languages and Literatures, The University of the West Indies, Jamaica
9:55 – 10:00 am | What We Take Forward
- Dr. Miriam Preckler. Director of Education, CAF
10:00 am | Closing
