Grenadians at home and across the world will be celebrating the 38th anniversary of independence for the Spice Island on February 7. But in South Florida, the Grenada Civic and Cultural Association (GCCA) will be the center of celebrations. For 24 years, the GCCA has made a home for the Grenadian-American Diaspora in South Florida.

The GCCA was founded in Miami by Michael Hood-Julien in 1988, when "there was not much [Grenadian] cultural awareness in the community," says current GCCA president Sherry Peters. The association grew from a small collection of Grenadian-Americans seeking to celebrate Grenadian culture together, to a full cultural and philanthropic organization. The GCCA has help Grenadians both at home and in Florida, from providing book scholarships for Grenadian students attending colleges and universities in the U.S., to shipping school equipment and medical supplies to Grenada.

Today the GCCA is dedicated to providing "social and cultural interaction amongst Grenadians and other national groups in the South Florida area, whereby creating a framework for Grenadians to contribute towards the development of Grenada in the areas of education, health, tourism, culture, artistic endeavor."

For the 38th anniversary of independence, the GCCA, under the theme "Youth of Grenada," will focus on promoting educational opportunities for Grenada's future generation. The association, in collaboration with Grenadian Ambassador to the U.S., Gillian M.S. Bristol, will raise funds to provide for an orphanage's wish list in Grenada. And, at this year's GCCA Annual Independence Dinner & Dance on February 4, at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale in Dania, the winner of the annual GCCA scholarship essay competition will be announced.

The winning essay will discuss ideas on how to bridge the generation gap as Grenada progresses towards the future – a prospect at the forefront of the GCCA's hope for the country, say Peters. Peters is proud of the influx of new members for this year, particularly of the interest expressed by the growing number of younger GCCA members.

For the future of Grenada, Peters also dreams of younger generations receiving more educational opportunities, and returning to help building their homeland.

"We [GCCA] want to see more Grenadians get better educated," says Peters. "We are lacking a new, evolutionary thinking about how we educate ourselves."

Peters also sees the Grenadian Diaspora playing a keep role in this evolution.

"I hope that the Diaspora can provide for Grenada," says Peters. "If we can provide the paramount and priceless gift of education, our country can take a turn for the better."

"We are a small island, but we are not short of the same capability of any being. Our youth just need an opportunity to learn. We need to invest in our youth, so they can achieve their vision. With the power of education, the world will be our oyster."