With youth health on the decline and Virtual Reality (VR) on the rise, merging the two worlds offers endless possibilities.
That vision came to life as the Digicel Foundation, in collaboration with Shell Trinidad and Tobago, unveiled the Youth Reality Health Lab, a first-of-its-kind immersive space designed to transform education into experience, reflection into action and risky lifestyles into healthier futures.
The initiative marks the successful completion of five technology and digitalisation projects under the Extraordinary Projects Impacting Communities (EPIC) Programme for 2025–2026.
With a $500,000 investment fuelling innovation, the Chest and Heart Association of Trinidad and Tobago (CHATT) unveiled the country’s first Youth Reality Health Lab.
Chairman of CHATT, Yvonne Lewis, revealed the reason behind tackling this initiative.
“Seventy per cent of our youths try drugs before the age of 14. Fifty per cent of adolescents in Trinidad and Tobago, more than that, they are overweight or obese, they already have the markers for early development of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, etc.”
Ms. Lewis noted that the lab will feature a free, interactive VR learning environment where young people can make informed choices, engage in experiential learning, and begin reshaping their futures.
“This particular project, the CHATT Youth Virtual Reality Health Education Lab, we conceptualised it as health education in the metaverse, moving what we did in the past, which was traditional health education, chalk and talk, you know how it goes, right? Moving from that and using technology education now to promote behaviour change.”
Chairman of the Digicel Foundation, Desha Clifford, emphasised that through harnessing the power of technology, five NGOs can now address real challenges in their communities while driving meaningful change.
“So what does it look like? It looks like Childline upgrading their system so that when children reach out in fear, they are heard loud and clear and helped sooner than they were before. It’s the Bovell Cancer-Diabetes Foundation putting tools in the hands of young people to prevent chronic diseases before they can ever become life threatening. It’s CHATT, the Chest and Heart Association, using virtual reality to teach young people about how to have a happy and healthy heart and to make the right choices.”
Now in its tenth year, the EPIC Programme has supported 170 communities, bridging technology and people to create meaningful connections nationwide.