Educational Initiatives
“EDUCATION IS THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON WHICH YOU CAN USE TO CHANGE THE WORLD.” - NELSON MANDELA
The Trust recognises some of the monumental challenges facing Barbadian educators, especially in this new technological era. At the Trust, we endeavour to initiate change through our sponsorship to numerous schools, charities and not for profit organisations positively influencing the lives of thousands of children.
In this new digital era, technology has influenced the way children learn, changing the dynamics of traditional classrooms. To keep abreast and to navigate the modern classrooms, teachers require continual training. To this end, we work in close coordination with the Ministry of Education to support teacher training. In addition, through this partnership, we also assist with counselling, student intervention and innovative academic programmes. Recognising that education expands beyond academic studies, the Trust also supports learning through vocational studies and sporting initiatives.
The following are just a few of the programmes we support, as well as our investment in specialist training for future educators. These initiatives are our way of addressing some of the challenges that the nation’s children face.
The Sunshine Early Stimulation Centre
The Sunshine Early Stimulation Centre & John Payne School for Exceptional Children offers programmes to help children with emotional, social, intellectual, or mental deficiencies overcome challenges. Challenges that have disrupted their ability to communicate, learn, play, and interact with their peers.
The Level Up School Programme
The Level Up School Programme is another initiative where we partner with the Ministry of Education. We work with a group of counsellors to design an in-house programme intended to foster safer school environments by reducing the operation or formation of student gangs at “high-risked” schools. The counsellors usually engage 25 students per school and target them for group intervention sessions. The young counsellors teach the students about conflict resolution, problem-solving and emotional intelligence, as well as empower them to change their behaviour in a positive environment.
Counselling Programme
Our SLCT Primary School Counselling Programme, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, has brought immeasurable benefits to scores of children in challenging circumstances across Barbados. This programme provides counselling support to 30 primary schools that have exhibited the need for this type of intervention. The areas covered include self-esteem training, dealing with emotions and anger management, coping techniques, goal setting, social skills training, ‘good touch, bad touch’ and grief and loss counselling. They also provide behaviour improvement plans for students and conduct behaviour support sessions to encourage behaviour modification. We currently have six professional counsellors who are committed to making a significant difference in the lives of these impressionable young minds.
Support Programmes
Academic support programmes for children preparing for the Barbados Secondary Schools' Entrance Examination (“11+”) transition to a secondary school. In addition we also provide much needed support to Secondary School students who are pursuing academic and vocational studies.
Achieve Tutoring
A Community non-profit organisationin community based education, established in 2014 geared towards assisting less fortunate students in The Achieve Model for Educational Success (AMES) AMES Teacher Training has expanded within Barbados and the Caribbean. The Sandy Lane Charitable Trust supports Thirty (30) Scholarships with the aim of improving grades and students are specifically selected from 10 government schools; assisting more children to “Achieve “success and dream bigger dreams.
Vocational Training
Sponsorship of vocational training is very dear to our hearts; we recognise that not every child will have the academic ability to succeed in life. Therefore, the SLCT is proud to work with many vocational projects. One, in particular, is the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust/St. Leonard’s Boys’ Alternative Curriculum Education Programme. This programme was designed to help boys who failed in their 3rd year at Secondary School. A curriculum was created specifically for them. It engaged retired teachers, the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation and other vocational specialists. They educate these boys on functional academics, business basics, traditional artisan crafts and other vocational concepts. The main goal of this programme is to steer these boys back into a positive educational course and aim for NVQ qualifications. The programme has proved to be remarkable. Some of the boys are pursuing a career in technical studies. This intervention has also helped a few of the boys become eligible to take the Caribbean Examination Council exams.
