26th December, 2020 – Port-of-Spain. One hundred and eleven (111) students from seven (7) secondary schools will start their next school term with digital devices thanks to the Heroes Foundation (Heroes) and a league of corporate heroes. Heroes, supported by Proman, Angostura Limited, Phoenix Park Gas Processors Limited (PPGPL), Unit Trust Corporation (UTC), Standard Distributors and other donors has been delivering devices over the Christmas Season to the students who are participants in the Heroes Development Programme (HDP) and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Trinidad and Tobago (BBBSTT) mentorship programme.
According to Heroes’ Chief Executive Officer, Lawrence Arjoon, “Transitioning our programmes to digital delivery this year also helped us optimise our use of resources. With the support of our programme sponsors, we reallocated savings to meet the needs of our participants best at this time. We incorporated netiquette and Microsoft Enterprise training into our programme delivery to support students in their digital transition, and these devices will now help ensure that students can comfortably stay connected to our online youth development activities and engage in classes with their schools.”
The schools benefitting from this initiative are Belmont Secondary School, Bishop’s Centenary College, Success Laventille Secondary School, Woodbrook Secondary School, Southeast Port-of-Spain Secondary School, Siparia West Secondary School, and Waterloo High School.
Proman Trinidad and Tobago’s Managing Director, Claus Cronberger noted, “As a longstanding supporter of the Heroes Foundation, we have seen the positive impact the organisation has on the lives of youth in Trinidad and Tobago. Part of our commitment in country is ensuring that the next generation of leaders is equipped to overcome future challenges. Providing much needed digital devices and supporting the Heroes Development Programme and the Big Brothers Big Sisters mentorship programme helps us fulfil this mandate while supporting and empowering youth to have a positive impact in their lives and the lives of others.”
Angostura’s Executive Manager – Corporate Services, Rahim Mohammed noted, “As part of Angostura’s commitment to ensure that students are not left behind, we continue to do all that is possibly to support the digital education transition. We are happy to support Heroes in this initiative which pairs digital device distribution with online technology education. Angostura also donated hand sanitiser for the Heroes Student Support Centre and the organisation’s in-person work earlier this year. We will continue to do our best to support positive youth development activities in Trinidad and Tobago as we navigate these times together.”
PPGPL’s President, Dominic Rampersad noted, “It is important for us to ensure that the education of our nation’s youth remains a priority as we navigate these changing times. We must do all that is possible to ensure the sustainable development of not just our business, but our society as a whole. Education today will be conducted more and more on online platforms and hence we must prepare our young people and our economy for this reality. We have seen the positive impact of these youth development activities on our nation’s youth and are proud to support the delivery of essential services to those most in need at this time.”
UTC’s Executive Director, Nigel Edwards noted, “The Big Brothers Big Sisters programme has a proven track record of not only positively benefitting the student participants, but our employees who volunteer their time and talent as well. The bonds created between the Bigs (mentors) and Littles (mentees) go well beyond the programme, and we are happy to have these direct, strong, and positive influences on the lives of our nation’s future leaders. We are excited by the digital delivery of this new programme cycle, especially as these digital devices will also play a key role in facilitating access to online education.”
The ICRAIG 7-Inch high-definition tablets were procured by Standard Distributors and come equipped with a detachable keyboard, protective case, and high-quality headphones to maximise user experience, especially in settings where multiple users engage in online activities at the same time.
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