ORANJESTAD – On Friday, a group of 3rd, 4th, and 5th form History students from Gwendoline van Putten (GVP) School participated in an inspiring workshop led by Kenneth Cohen, a curator from the Smithsonian Institution.

The interactive session explored the importance of Statia’s history and its impact on the present and future. Students had the unique opportunity to examine primary source documents, including letters written in the early 1860s by Statian Mathilda Percival to her husband while she was in St. Thomas.

The workshop also highlighted the island’s historical connections to internationally known figures, such as Olaudah Equiano, whose writings on the horrors of slavery contributed to the abolitionist movement.

Heritage

Facilitated by Kenneth Cohen, Ms. Sady El Hage, and GVP History Teacher Nicole Smith-Fagan, the workshop left students with a deeper appreciation of their heritage and its global significance.