10 SCHOOLS PROVIDED WITH NEW TABLETS

Digicel Foundation Expands Project 1000 to Include Tablets

Principals, educators and other stakeholders from Portland, St Thomas and St Mary attended a recent Back-To-School Conference held under the theme: “From Policy to Practice; Raising the Bar of Excellence in Student Achievement.” Representatives of the Digicel Foundation were also on hand in support of the event, providing ten schools with fifty tablets through the Foundation’s technology based literacy initiative, Project 1000.

The initiative will provide one thousand early childhood and primary institutions across the island with Information Communication Technology (ICT) over the course of three years. To date, 250 schools have been approved to receive 736 computers through Project 1000. The newest component of the initiative will include the provision of tablets, which will provide teachers the opportunity to integrate technology more easily into day-to-day classroom scenarios and afford students more exposure to ICTs. Godfrey Blake, Principal of Long Road Primary in Remote, St Mary, spoke on the importance of ICTs in the classroom, noting that, “Technology in the classroom stimulates and motivates students who would otherwise lack interest. Most students are more prone to visuals aids and technology is able to make concepts come alive in a way that a chalkboard never will. This is especially important when working with students who have specialised needs.” Ten more schools in Region 3 will benefit from an additional 50 tablets next week, fulfilling the Foundation’s mission to assist the Ministry of Education in achieving 100% literacy by 2015. “We are very proud of the gains made in trying to impact the reading levels of students across the island. However, there is still much more to be done to achieve 100% literacy by 2015 and the Foundation is committed to assisting the Ministry to reach this goal. However, the real change-makers are the teachers and principals that work with students day-in and day-out to achieve this goal”, remarked Samantha Chantrelle, CEO of the Digicel Foundation.