Students Receive Chromebooks Under Skills for the Future Program

High school Students across the country are getting a digital boost through the Ministry of Education’s *Skills for the Future Program*, which aims to enhance learning through technology. The nationwide rollout began today in Belmopan, where hundreds of students at the Belmopan Comprehensive School received brand-new Chromebooks. Ljay Wade was present at today’s launch and filed the story.

Ljay Wade, Love News: Over 5,000 e-learning devices will be distributed across the country to students of six high schools. Under the Ministry of Education’s Skills for the Future program, today the program kicked off in Belmopan where 1,044 Google Chromebooks were distributed to the students of the Belmopan Comprehensive School. All students from first to fourth form now own a Google Chromebook that can assist them in their studies. Ingrid Acosta from the Ministry of Education spoke about the Skills for the Future program and the other high schools that were selected under a $4 million initiative. 

Ingrid Acosta, Ministry of Education: “Well it’s part of the bigger Skills for the Future program that is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Global Partnership for Education. In this program we are establishing 16 pavilions across the country. The Belmopan Comprehensive is one of those strategically selected schools to be part of this program and as a result of that each student here in the Belmopan Comprehensive being a 1,044 students are receiving devices today. The e-learning devices that will be used throughout the lifespan of the program to implement different subprograms as part of the skills for the future.”

Ljay Wade, Love News:  How were the six high schools chosen? 

Ingrid Acosta, Ministry of Education: “We were looking for the schools that, well, one per district, but we wanted schools that had the large enrollment who would be able to service the neighboring communities and be access points for these maker spaces and science labs that we’re retrofitting as part of the larger STEAM Pavilion.”

Ljay Wade, Love News: The Skills for the Future program also seeks to establish STEAM pavilions that will serve as a learning hub for neighbouring schools, expanding access to modern technology-driven education nationwide. Acosta says that special initiatives will also be implemented to get more women into STEAM. 

Ingrid Acosta, Ministry of Education: “The larger umbrella of the Skills for the Future program has sub-components that are addressing the gender gaps that we find in STEAM education. So we have a focus for promoting STEAM education among girls. But we’re not leaving behind our boys, if you remember Deputy Terri’s speech she mentioned about the male dropout rate. So we’re also addressing that true consultancy with Equimundo and they are going to help the ministry re-engage boys specifically in strategic locations across the country.”

Ljay Wade, Love News: Forth former Jaelyn Williams was one of the students who received the Chromebook. According to Williams, the e-learning device will assist her greatly in her studies.

Jaelyn Williams, Forth Form Student, Belmopan Comprehensive: “I’m very grateful and excited. I’ve actually received a Chromebook already and I had no problems with it so I’m just very grateful that I get the opportunity to get another one. It will be very useful as a forth form student I’m tasked with a lot of assignments, a lot of research papers so these devices will come in handy especially for my major. I use my Chromebooks to create presentations on Canva. The touchscreen feature is very useful. It makes it very easy. I use mine for my research papers using Google Docs, that’s my preferred software and I have no problems with it.”

Ljay Wade, Love News: The other five high schools, namely Corozal Community College, Bishop Martin High School, Sacred Heart College, Ecumenical High School and Toledo Community College, will be receiving their Chromebooks throughout the week. Reporting for Love News, Ljay Wade.