Innovative Learning Environments for Special Needs Students Open At Mico College Care Centre

Five classrooms at The Mico College Child Assessment and Research in Education (CARE) Centre have been transformed into inclusive, flexible and student-centred learning spaces for children with special education needs.

The Innovative Learning Environment (ILE) project was undertaken by Digicel Foundation and the United States (US)-based Phoenix Tower International (PTI) WINGS Foundation at a cost of US$153,000 (J$24.46 million).

ILEs incorporate flexible classroom designs, technology and differentiated instruction to create tailored learning experiences to accommodate diverse needs.

The renovation of the classrooms included upgrades to the floors, windows, ceiling and lighting, installation of air conditioning and the outfitting of the spaces with modular furniture and essential teaching and learning materials.

The classrooms, including a sensory and physical therapy room, were officially handed over during a ceremony at the St. Andrew-based CARE Centre on Thursday (September. 3).

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Dr. Kasan Troupe, in her remarks, said that the renovated classrooms will provide a safe space where students with special needs can learn and grow with the full support of specialists.

“For every learner that will interact with that space, it’s a learner that has an opportunity to shine and to thrive… so, I’m using this opportunity to thank the Digicel Foundation, to thank the WINGS Foundation, to thank the leadership of Mico CARE and more so the leadership of The Mico University College for having a vision of what Jamaica can look like when all partners work together,” she said.

She encouraged the users of the renovated classrooms to make them spaces “where dreams are realised, where promises come to light, where talents are unearthed, where dreams come to reality”.

Director of The Mico CARE Centre, Dr. Sharon Anderson-Morgan, said that the improvements to the classrooms will significantly improve the learning intervention services provided by the centre.

She pointed out that approximately 170 children benefit annually from the institution’s regular intervention programmes, which aim to develop core competencies in literacy and numeracy to allow students to be reintegrated into the general education system.

“We offer a year-long remedial intervention programme for children six to eight years, who function two to three years below their age or grade expected levels. We have a two-year bridge programme for students who have completed their secondary education; however, they have learning challenges which require remediation,” she outlined.

She noted that the facility also provides a one-year autism intervention programme for students transitioning to the primary level, and a three-week summer programme that offers intensive academic intervention for students in both Kingston and St. Ann.

The Director said that while the programmes have been successful, the centre’s facilities have remained without an upgrade since its establishment in 1980, making it difficult to truly provide an innovative learning environment for students.

She thanked the contributing partners for improving the spaces, emphasising that children and teachers will benefit immensely.

Portfolio Manager for Education and Special Needs at Digicel Foundation, Jamilia Crooks-Brown, said that The Mico CARE Centre has been doing exceptional work over the years, providing critical assessment and therapeutic intervention services for children with special needs.

She noted that the upgraded classrooms will ensure that the students’ sensory needs are supported and that they have opportunities to regulate, explore and engage in ways that support their individual development.

“The right environment can make the difference between a child feeling overwhelmed and a child feeling supported… . It can also help a teacher better engage a student. It can help a therapist deliver an intervention more effectively, and it can give parents greater confidence that their children are receiving the support they need,” Crooks-Brown said.

She emphasised that the Foundation is committed to investing in better possibilities for children and providing greater support for educators and therapists.

In his remarks, PTI’s General Manager for the English Caribbean, Carlyle Roberts, said the Foundation is honoured to partner with Digicel on such an important project.

“As these classroom doors are open for the new school year. My hope is that every child and every teacher who walks through them finds more than just a classroom; that they find a place where they’re seen, they find a place where they can be supported, and they find a place where they can be celebrated,” Mr. Roberts said.