Mission Statement


    Stay-Focused offers teens and young adults with disabilities the opportunity to become certified SCUBA divers, and, through that experience, learn lasting lessons about life and achievement. It promotes empowerment, discipline, and focus in helping participants achieve personal goals. Stay-Focused is committed to supporting medical research that explores the beneficial aspects of water sports on persons with mobility challenges.


   

Purpose

Stay-Focused is best described as a learning organization, with both academic and experiential components. While the program provides participants the opportunity to challenge themselves and learn valuable lessons, it is also fun and offers participants a positive, achievement-oriented experience. During the initial, weeklong Stay-Focused program, participants take part in a Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) certified program, as well as a complement of workshops designed to enrich their diving experiences and encourage them to focus on achieving personal goals. Participants learn about the marine environment and fish behavior from their diving instructors and by participating in workshops offered by the Ambassadors of the Environment Program at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman.

Goals

Beyond learning to dive and the educational value of the Stay-Focused experience, one of the primary goals of Stay-Focused is to maintain lifelong connections with the teens and young adults who participate in the program. Participants in the program become alumni of Stay-Focused and will always be part of the Stay-Focused network.

Each participant is offered the opportunity to return to Grand Cayman one year after the first trip to participate in a second week of diving and workshops. These “reunion” trips enable divers to refresh their diving skills and help reinforce lessons-learned during the first trip, including overcoming challenges and setting realistic, achievable personal goals.

Stay-Focused Cayman Ltd.

Stay-Focused is registered in Grand Cayman as Stay-Focused Ltd., a charitable organization. While the organization’s purpose and goals remain unchanged, Stay-Focused Cayman Ltd., has a broader agenda of lifting awareness in Cayman for the potential of all persons with disabilities.