Five Classrooms to Be Upgraded at Mico Care Centre

Five classrooms at The Mico University College Child Assessment and Research in Education (CARE) Centre in Kingston, will be upgraded in alignment with Inclusive Learning Environment (ILE) standards by the Digicel Foundation.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the US$75,000 project was signed on Monday (February 9) at the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information’s Heroes Circle offices in Kingston.

The Mico CARE Centre is a leading public educational institution offering diagnostic and therapeutic intervention services for children with exceptionalities in Jamaica and the English-speaking Caribbean.

In her address, Permanent Secretary, Dr. Kasan Troupe, shared that the Ministry is blessed to have the Digicel Foundation as a partner, especially in the area of special needs.

“We’re looking at ICT (information and communications technology) support, smart rooms, smart technology in the rooms. We’re looking at making sure the room is fitted for purpose, and so we are really grateful. The windows will be renovated, the flooring, the doors, everything you can think of to make it smart and adequate for our students who need this kind of support. The Ministry is extremely proud, and we fully endorse this investment in Mico CARE,” she said.

Director of the Mico CARE Centre, Dr. Sharon Anderson-Morgan, said the centre was established through a partnership between the Governments of Jamaica and the Netherlands in 1981.

“Partnership has continued to sustain us, allowing us to open a centre in St. Ann’s Bay, allowing us to have a small satellite in Mandeville, which is through partnership, and so I want to thank you Digicel Foundation for stepping up for us,” she said.

Dr. Anderson-Morgan said the centre is generally known for conducting assessments but its services extend beyond that.

“We also do intervention, and upgrading these classrooms is a big part of that drive. We don’t want to have the classroom of 45 years ago when the centre was built. We want to have a space that is fit for purpose,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of the Digicel Foundation, Charmaine Daniels, said the aim is to create state-of-the-art classrooms.

“We are looking forward to delivering what you have asked… and we know that it will be put to good use. We have a very long-standing partnership with Mico. We’re proud of how you take care of the investments that we put in and we will continue,” she said.