Above: Akim Armstrong of the Can Bou Play Foundation, the U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission Joseph FitzGerald and Yohance Marshall. Photo courtesy the US Embassy.
Forty students will receive tablets to engage in virtual educational programs as part of the U.S. Embassy’s Safety Pitch pilot project in partnership with the Can Bou Play Foundation.
Safety Pitch is a US$38,000 three-month afterschool pilot project in Diego Martin. It engages 40 primary school students from the Diamond Vale Government Primary and Patna/River Estate Government Primary schools in sporting activities and educational programs.
Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Joseph FitzGerald, at a brief handover ceremony at the Embassy’s Public Affairs Section, noted the program started in February but was halted after five weeks due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“I am happy to provide these devices for the children’s use. I know under the guidance of the Can Bou Play facilitators there will be fascinating interactive programs to keep them engaged and improve their technical skills, especially as everything, including education, becomes virtual. Ambassador Joseph Mondello is also looking forward to visiting the sport camps when they resume,” said FitzGerald.
While accepting the tablets, Can Bou Play Foundation’s Yohance Marshall assured the Embassy that students will receive the devices later this week and programming will begin shortly thereafter.
The Safety Pitch initiative is supported by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Sport, SporTT and the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (UDeCOTT).
n.
