‘Chapman Challenge’ to launch early next year, says President Bostic

President of Barbados, His Excellency Lt. Col. The Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic, has confirmed that the much-anticipated Chapman Challenge will be officially launched in the first quarter of 2026, with counsellors in place by the end of January.

The President provided the update last Friday during remarks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade’s diplomacy engagement.

He first announced the initiative during his inaugural address on November 30, outlining a national effort aimed at supporting at-risk youth and strengthening community mentorship.

“The Chapman Challenge will officially roll out in the first quarter of 2026. By the end of January, all 11 parish counsellors will be appointed, after which the infrastructure for comprehensive mentorship, community engagement, and youth outreach will begin,” he said.

The initiative draws inspiration from President Bostic’s own path — from his early years in Chapman Lane, to rising through the ranks of the Barbados Defence Force as a Lieutenant Colonel, and now serving as the island’s second President.

He said many young people continue to feel marginalised, alienated, or struggle with self-esteem despite the availability of opportunities, and the initiative is intended to help bridge that gap.

“The Chapman Challenge has to do with taking persons from the lane, and the lane in this sense means the beginning, where people are at right now. It is a flat area, and taking them to Hillaby, Hillaby being the highest point in Barbados,” he said.

“And it is up to us, the adults, the senior people, the mature people, to be able to stand in the gap for our young people, who may be going adrift, and to support them and to give them the rope to climb the ladder up to Hillaby. That is what it is all about.”

He called on civil society, the private sector, faith-based groups, cultural organisations, sports bodies, and individual citizens to join the effort.
“So, in essence, what we are saying is that we want to create an environment in which civil society, government, private citizens, churches and faith-based organisations, cultural institutions, and sporting organisations … mentor our young people through sports, through culture, etc. It’s not only academically, it’s not even only socially, but in several ways, and this is what we need to be able to do,” he explained.

“My announcement on Independence is a call to action for Barbadians to really get on board. We have to do this if we want to produce model citizens, and there’s no point in providing the opportunities if people don’t have the peace of mind to be able to grasp the opportunities.”

President Bostic said the Chapman Challenge will be built using a military triage-type structure, but will centre on parish-based counsellors who understand their communities and can respond directly to emerging needs.

He closed with a warning that Barbados cannot afford to delay action.

“If we don’t do this, then we are not going to win this race. It is critical to the development of this country. It is critical to the development of the next generation of Barbadians.”