Education

NCF CELEBRATES ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE SCHOOLS LANDSHIP PROGRAMME

The National Cultural Foundation joined with its competition sponsor the Barbados Public Workers Cooperative Credit Union Ltd to celebrate the achievements of the inaugural year of its Schools Landship Programme, at the Awards Presentation on Sunday, July 14^th at the Daphne Joseph Hackett Theatre.

The programme which was rolled out over the last 15 months saw training of over 300 children at 12 schools across the island in Landship performance skills and cultural mores. Chief Cultural Officer of the NCF, Ms. Andrea Wells reminded attendees that the National Cultural Foundation, working in close collaboration with the Barbados Landship Association, has undertaken the task of reviving the cultural phenomenon that is LANDSHIP, a uniquely Barbadian cultural movement which is currently celebrating its 161^st year.

AWARDS

The Awards event featured clips of performances across many of the participating schools and presented top students and teachers with leadership awards, along with certificates and cash prizes recognising excellence in performances in Maypole, Maneuvers, Uniforms and Insignia and Financial Literacy.

While all student participants were not able to be present, each school was adequately represented by its student leaders and their cheering teachers and parents.

In her presentation, Mrs. Gail Niles, the Director of Marketing of the BPWCCUL indicated the company’s commitment to encouraging and celebrating achievement in youth especially in the area of financial literacy. She expressed fascination of the similar histories of that aspect of both the Landship and Credit Union movements and indicated the company’s willingness to work more closely with the Landship towards accomplishing both sectors objectives.

The Chief Education Officer, Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw joined with Mrs. Niles and senior members of the Barbados Landship movement in recognizing and presenting top awards won by the schools:

Among these were as follows:

BEST PRIMARY SCHOOL LANDSHIP

1^st – BLS Sankofa, Deacons Primary

2^nd – BLS Fountainhead, St. Albans Primary

3^rd – BLS Explorers, Holy Innocents Primary

BEST SECONDARY SCHOOL LANDSHIP

1^st – BLS Asantehene, Princess Margaret Secondary School

2^nd – BLS Frederick Smith Vanguard, Frederick Smith Secondary School

3^rd – BLS Garrison, Graydon Sealy Secondary School

Leadership awards were offered to the top 2 outstanding students at each school’s Landship, along with the Coordinating teachers in the programme.

The CCO noted that the most important parts of the Landship model are those aspects that deal with creating and cementing community bonds and generally developing resilience in an unequal and at times challenging world. (PR)

Education

Immigration Webinar For Students Wishing To Study In Canada

Barbadians interested in pursuing studies in Canada are invited to participate in the online Immigration Seminar of the Consulate General of Barbados, in Toronto.

The Consulate, as part of its annual activities to observe National Heroes Day, is hosting a week of activities, and the key event will be the Immigration Seminar tomorrow Thursday, April 24, at 6:00 p.m.

Over the past 12 months, there have been significant changes to the requirements and processes for obtaining an international student visa. As a result, the seminar will focus on the recent changes to the entry requirements for international students coming to Canada to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate studies.

Prospective students, as well as parents, guardians, guidance counsellors, school teachers and principals, who have a vested interest in obtaining the most up-to-date and accurate information to make the most informed choice from the available study options, are encouraged to participate in the online seminar.

Alana Alleyne, a barrister and solicitor, will cover areas such as the latest changes to international student visas, eligibility criteria for student visas, requirements for postgraduate work permits, and changes to eligibility for spousal work permits. (PR/GIS)

Education

Information Session For Teachers Keen On Working In USA

Primary school teachers interested in working in the United States of America (USA) are invited to an upcoming Information Session, tomorrow Thursday, April 24.

The session will be hosted in the Main Conference Room of the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector, Warrens Office Complex, Warrens, St. Michael, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The initiative is being facilitated by the Ministry, in partnership with the Barbados Employment and Career Counselling Service, the Barbados Union of Teachers, and Participate Learning, a USA recruitment firm.

During the event, Participate Learning will share important information on the application and recruitment processes, as well as on working in the USA. (PR/GIS)

Education

Ellerslie Students Welcomed At Barbados’ Embassy In Panama

The Embassy of Barbados in the Republic of Panama was pleased to welcome The Ellerslie School students and staff to its Chancery in Panama City, recently.

Chargé d’Affaires, Sandra Gittens, in her welcome to the group, which included Principal, Andrea Baptiste and Deputy Principal, Carl Applewhaite, shared the history of the mission, noting that the Embassy was established in 2020.

Mrs. Gittens said this was “in line with the Barbados Government’s desire to strengthen its relations and cooperation with Panama across a number of areas, including trade, investment, tourism and education”.

She expressed the hope that the visit would signal the start of a new relationship with The Ellerslie School in pursuit of future student-to-student and teacher-to-teacher exchanges, in collaboration with the Ministries of Educational Transformation and Training and Tertiary Education and its Panamanian counterpart, within the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries.

Speaking on the value of learning a foreign language, First Secretary, Shireifa Joseph, spoke of her experience as a foreign language student and the positive impact that it has had on her career.

She encouraged the students to continue their foreign language journey, signalling that they were well on their way to becoming “bridge builders” in their future careers with the capacity to connect Barbados to other countries across the globe.

Counsellor at the Embassy, Michelle Carter, also noted the value of language learning, especially for those studying tourism, stating that developing a strong proficiency in a foreign language will serve as a critical tool in opening doors to their success in this sector, whether in Barbados or abroad. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Students, teachers and parents of the Ellerslie secondary school to the Embassy of Barbados in the Republic of Panama