Today, teachers and volunteers from Baha Mar’s Leadership Development Institute (LDI) began a two-day training seminar to welcome four students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) into the training and recruitment program. The students will also participate in the training seminar to prepare them for the classes scheduled to begin on July 21st.
The students will join LDI through Best Buddies, an international volunteer program that will be implemented at Baha Mar and will be the first of its kind in The Bahamas. Best Buddies, a program founded at Georgetown University in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, partners with organizations throughout the United States and in 50 countries around the world to assist with training and creating integrated social and employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities such as Autism or Down syndrome. Through the program, people with IDDs are paired with ‘Buddies’ that provide guidance and support, establishing meaningful friendships and enabling them to lead more active and independent lives.
Candidates for the upcoming LDI class were identified and selected with assistance from local IDD advocates including Dr. Michelle Major, Director of the Seahorse Institute, a non-profit organization that provides treatment for people with Autism and other developmental delays, and Mario Carey, President of R.E.A.C.H. Bahamas, an autism support group. Each IDD student will be paired with a student Buddy for the duration of the 16-week class session. If they successfully complete the program, they will also receive a job offer at Baha Mar.
The integration of Best Buddies with LDI has received strong support from local advocate groups as well as the parents and guardians of the students.
According to Denise Godreau, Baha Mar Chief Marketing Officer and parent of a child with IDD, the integration of the Best Buddies program with the Leadership Development Institute is a natural expression of Baha Mar’s inclusive culture.
“Baha Mar is committed to having a transformative impact on our guests, employees and the country. Best Buddies extends the economic impact of Baha Mar to people with disabilities to enable them to become more integrated into mainstream society,” said Godreau.
“Everyone can be part of the Baha Mar Dream Team if they have a heart for hospitality.”
About Baha Mar
Baha Mar, which is scheduled to open in December 2014, is set on 3,000 feet of white-sand beach just ten minutes from Nassau's newly expanded Lynden Pindling International Airport. This must-visit destination will feature an elite collection of hotel brands with gaming, entertainment, private residences, shopping and natural attractions that reflect an authentic Bahamian experience. The Baha Mar Casino & Hotel, with 1,000 rooms, is the centerpiece of the resort, and includes a 100,000-square-foot Las Vegas-style casino – the largest in the Caribbean region. Baha Mar will also include a 707-room Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar, a 300-room SLS at Baha Mar, and a 200-room Rosewood at Baha Mar. Upon completion of extensive renovations, the 694-room Meliá will join Baha Mar and complete the extraordinary accommodations at the luxury resort.
Amenities will include the 18-hole, 72-par championship Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course at Baha Mar; 200,000 square feet of combined, flexible, state-of-the-art convention facilities including a 2,000-seat performing arts center and an art gallery with the largest curated collection of Bahamian art in The Bahamas; 40 restaurants, bars and lounges; two spas, including the 30,000-square-foot destination spa, ESPA at Baha Mar; designer retail boutiques and 20 acres of exquisitely landscaped beach and pool experiences, including a beachfront sanctuary with native Bahamian flora and fauna, as well as a water eco-park.
For more information, please visit www.bahamar.com
Deputy Director of the Jobs Program at Best Buddies International, Jake Laverriere leads a training session with the four Best Buddies who will join Baha Mar’s Leadership Development Institute. Classes begin on July 21st.
