CORPORATE HANDS - Schools benefit from Enrichment Programme

Wilson's Run and Lucea primary schools were named "exemplary schools" for their outstanding administering of the Digicel Enrichment Programme and increasing their literacy and numeracy levels.

They were also recognised for their level of monitoring and assessment of students' performance; attendance at learning and development seminars; compliance with reporting, as well as utilisation of skills. In addition, these schools have seen distinct improvements in their students' performance, which have excited and motivated the teachers to continue with the programme.

Both schools will be awarded grants for their performance, to be used to further enhance the delivery of the Enrichment Programme as well as other useful student-focused efforts during this school year. Teachers and principals from the second batch of 35 primary schools in Manchester, Clarendon, Portland, St Elizabeth and St Catherine will begin implementing the Enrichment Programme.

CAPTION - Samantha Chantrelle (left), chief executive officer, Digicel Foundation,
and Sharon Campbell-Danvers, principal of Davis Primary, guide these
students as they try out the computers in their school's new enrichment
centre. The occasion was the 2014 commencement of the Enrichment
Programme at the St Catherine-based school. At the event, the Digicel
Foundation announced that 31 schools will be receiving enrichment
centres and mobile enrichment carts to assist students in grades one to
three to better prepare for the Grade Four Literacy Test. This expansion
has been made possible with the assistance of USAID through a
partnership valued at more than US$3.7 million. Over a three-year
period, the enrichment programme will be active within an additional 95
schools, bringing the total number of schools impacted by the
initiative to nearly 200 islandwide. The Enrichment Programme was
initially launched by the Digicel Foundation and the Ministry of
Education in 2009. - Contributed