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Yamacraw students get access to educational assistance

Mon, Dec 12th 2022, 09:03 AM
Education Nassau Guardian Stories

Seventh through 12th-grade students who reside in the Yamacraw Constituency community are being given an opportunity to avail themselves of educational assistance to help with closing any learning gaps they may have with the implementation of the Yamacraw Student Help Centre. 

And Coffee Cay Ltd., the operating licensee of Starbucks in The Bahamas, has stepped up with a donation of $500 per month toward the center’s operating expenses, commencing in January. This is in addition to the corporate entity’s donation of five computers and a printer to the Elizabeth Estates Children’s Home, which is located within the constituency.
The goals of the center include creating a homework community online via LMS (Learning Management System) that engages 50 percent of its users and allows students the opportunity to have access to homework help after hours, virtually; contributing to closing the learning gap while increasing eligibility for a high school diploma among junior and senior school students; and ensuring that at least 10 percent of secondary school students in the program successfully pass core Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) exams with the assistance of additional etutoring sessions.
The center also aims to strengthen students by being a support system for their parents, making available to them opportunities to access webinars with presenters seeking to empower parents developmentally to produce the best version of themselves.
The Yamacraw Student Help Centre partnered with Techcited Online Institute (TCOI) to offer the program.
“The Yamacraw Student Help Centre is a program initiative that the Member of Parliament for Yamacraw Zane Lightbourne wanted to implement. Being that he himself is a teacher, he felt obligated to contribute towards ‘closing the learning loss gap’ from various angles one student at a time,” said Sharnell Robinson, Yamacraw Help Centre and TCOI administrator.
“This program is important to Minister Zane Lightbourne and all staff associated with it, as we are all passionate educators. We know and see the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on education and the lives of many students. We understand that if we don’t do our part now, the consequences will be unpleasant in the future. Thus, we feel compelled to do our part, one student at a time.
“We need to, if only one hour a day, with five kids, help them to prepare well for scholastic achievements at the junior and senior levels. Getting more kids to be eligible for the high school diploma, while improving employability, is the fuel behind our passion.”
Robinson said they realize the economy is only as strong as the educational system and that the educational system will be as strong as the parents, students, and communities.
“Weak parents socially, emotionally, mentally, financiallyvand spiritually translate to weak and troubled students, schools and, ultimately, communities,” said Robinson.
“The campaign for education continues with TCOI and the Yamacraw Student Help Centre. All students matter. All students matter now, however, we can reach them.”
The educational program consists of access to trained professional student counselors who offer students who enroll in a 30-minute eReadiness counseling session, and other counseling services, access to trained educators and qualified eTutors who are members of TCOI.
Online tutoring sessions are available after hours in the subjects of mathematics, general science and health science.
As of January 2023, students will have access to BJC mathematics, general science, health science, and Spanish – two classes per week at one hour per class.
Access to student educational resources via LMS; and access to online practice English language lab in vocabulary, reading comprehension, grammar fitness, paragraph, and essay writing.
A 15-minute Language Lab Online practice is also required daily by students. As well aso a student self-developmental workshop and examination preparation workshop.
BJC eTutoring subject offerings include mathematics, English, health science, general science and Spanish.
The program provides interactive online instruction, access to homework helpline, access to student counselors, online English language lab and face-to-face help.
“All students and their parents living in Yamacraw have access to the center’s program and services. There are times we anticipate streaming professional development events and making information public because education and knowledge are power to all. We’ve also communicated to schools (private and public) that fall within the boundary lines to solicit students for our program.”
Program registration is ongoing through January 7, 2023.
“For January, we have 28 class slots taken. We are anticipating starting with 50 students. If the need arises, we can accommodate 35 students per discipline up to 200 students max.
It is expected that a team of 12 teachers will execute the educational exam preparation schedule in the virtual space.
“There are some members of Yamacraw who did not need BJC classes or needed BJC classes in subjects not offered by the center this term. TCOI, with the help of additional corporate sponsors, made it possible for members of Yamacraw to receive financial aid in physics and chemistry classes. Until the demand grows, however, the Yamacraw Student Help Centre will continue on the greatest need of students which is getting them to pass BJC examinations and qualify for the high school diploma.
Robinson said parents have the option to allow their children to engage in the English language lab/practice in person.
“Every Monday and Tuesday, between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., as requested by parents, students would have met an onsite facilitator with all electronic devices provided onsite, to engage in English language practice sessions online. At the moment, face-to-face teaching is not available. Our teaching staff members are involved in school life, as they are members of educational institutions (public and private) throughout New Providence.”
The Student Help Centre launched with a pilot program that took place October 3-28. They offered 20 students BJC math and general science.
As a result, Robinson said, they saw learning improvement between 10 percent and 36 percent in the short period in BJC math and science.
“Education is the wealth of the nation,” said Robinson. “In the sciences, we have definitely seen students become estranged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the greatest needs in education right now are getting students to fall in love with science and other subject disciplines, to reunite students with a love of science and various subjects. We are able to do this by knowing the content, creating lessons for engagement, and then building relationships. Through small class settings online, we are able to get to know students and help boost confidence by simplifying information for comprehension. The Yamacraw Student Help Centre is a vehicle that allows us as educators to inculcate the love and basic understanding of various topics in all of the disciplines offered.
“Offering the service of personal self-developmental workshops for parents and students is important to us.”
Robinson added, “Parents are foundational to the success of any student. Supporting parents with adolescent children is also very important to us. It is important, especially out of the pandemic, for us to try to teach and expose parents and students to social-emotional learning. Teaching skills to become more socially and emotionally in tune with self/being self-aware, is important to the development of the whole person – be it parents or children. Thus, hosting and finding workshops that focus on key self-development and social-emotional awareness is critical to us.”
Parents of students enrolled in the Yamacraw Student Help Centre also have free access to TCOI’s parent club. They share parent resources, which are often webinars.
Robinson said TCOI partners with the National Parenting Division of the Department of Social Services to ensure that parents are aware of the parent workshops offered by the National Parenting Division and the Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas (Anglican Diocesan Pastoral Care Ministry). The National Parenting Division offered parent workshops every Tuesday morning and the diocese offered parent workshops every Thursday afternoon. In between, TCOI attempted to host internal workshops to address personal parent matters. Techcited Online Institute, in conjunction with the Yamacraw Student Help Centre, launched one parental workshop this term that focused on understanding financial reality.

And Coffee Cay Ltd., the operating licensee of Starbucks in The Bahamas, has stepped up with a donation of $500 per month toward the center’s operating expenses, commencing in January. This is in addition to the corporate entity’s donation of five computers and a printer to the Elizabeth Estates Children’s Home, which is located within the constituency.

The goals of the center include creating a homework community online via LMS (Learning Management System) that engages 50 percent of its users and allows students the opportunity to have access to homework help after hours, virtually; contributing to closing the learning gap while increasing eligibility for a high school diploma among junior and senior school students; and ensuring that at least 10 percent of secondary school students in the program successfully pass core Bahamas Junior Certificate (BJC) exams with the assistance of additional etutoring sessions.

The center also aims to strengthen students by being a support system for their parents, making available to them opportunities to access webinars with presenters seeking to empower parents developmentally to produce the best version of themselves.

The Yamacraw Student Help Centre partnered with Techcited Online Institute (TCOI) to offer the program.

“The Yamacraw Student Help Centre is a program initiative that the Member of Parliament for Yamacraw Zane Lightbourne wanted to implement. Being that he himself is a teacher, he felt obligated to contribute towards ‘closing the learning loss gap’ from various angles one student at a time,” said Sharnell Robinson, Yamacraw Help Centre and TCOI administrator.

“This program is important to Minister Zane Lightbourne and all staff associated with it, as we are all passionate educators. We know and see the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on education and the lives of many students. We understand that if we don’t do our part now, the consequences will be unpleasant in the future. Thus, we feel compelled to do our part, one student at a time.

“We need to, if only one hour a day, with five kids, help them to prepare well for scholastic achievements at the junior and senior levels. Getting more kids to be eligible for the high school diploma, while improving employability, is the fuel behind our passion.”

Robinson said they realize the economy is only as strong as the educational system and that the educational system will be as strong as the parents, students, and communities.

“Weak parents socially, emotionally, mentally, financiallyvand spiritually translate to weak and troubled students, schools and, ultimately, communities,” said Robinson.

“The campaign for education continues with TCOI and the Yamacraw Student Help Centre. All students matter. All students matter now, however, we can reach them.”

The educational program consists of access to trained professional student counselors who offer students who enroll in a 30-minute eReadiness counseling session, and other counseling services, access to trained educators and qualified eTutors who are members of TCOI.

Online tutoring sessions are available after hours in the subjects of mathematics, general science and health science.

As of January 2023, students will have access to BJC mathematics, general science, health science, and Spanish – two classes per week at one hour per class.

Access to student educational resources via LMS; and access to online practice English language lab in vocabulary, reading comprehension, grammar fitness, paragraph, and essay writing.

A 15-minute Language Lab Online practice is also required daily by students. As well aso a student self-developmental workshop and examination preparation workshop.

BJC eTutoring subject offerings include mathematics, English, health science, general science and Spanish.

The program provides interactive online instruction, access to homework helpline, access to student counselors, online English language lab and face-to-face help.

“All students and their parents living in Yamacraw have access to the center’s program and services. There are times we anticipate streaming professional development events and making information public because education and knowledge are power to all. We’ve also communicated to schools (private and public) that fall within the boundary lines to solicit students for our program.”

Program registration is ongoing through January 7, 2023.

“For January, we have 28 class slots taken. We are anticipating starting with 50 students. If the need arises, we can accommodate 35 students per discipline up to 200 students max.

It is expected that a team of 12 teachers will execute the educational exam preparation schedule in the virtual space.

“There are some members of Yamacraw who did not need BJC classes or needed BJC classes in subjects not offered by the center this term. TCOI, with the help of additional corporate sponsors, made it possible for members of Yamacraw to receive financial aid in physics and chemistry classes. Until the demand grows, however, the Yamacraw Student Help Centre will continue on the greatest need of students which is getting them to pass BJC examinations and qualify for the high school diploma.

Robinson said parents have the option to allow their children to engage in the English language lab/practice in person.

“Every Monday and Tuesday, between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., as requested by parents, students would have met an onsite facilitator with all electronic devices provided onsite, to engage in English language practice sessions online. At the moment, face-to-face teaching is not available. Our teaching staff members are involved in school life, as they are members of educational institutions (public and private) throughout New Providence.”

The Student Help Centre launched with a pilot program that took place October 3-28. They offered 20 students BJC math and general science.

As a result, Robinson said, they saw learning improvement between 10 percent and 36 percent in the short period in BJC math and science.

“Education is the wealth of the nation,” said Robinson. “In the sciences, we have definitely seen students become estranged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the greatest needs in education right now are getting students to fall in love with science and other subject disciplines, to reunite students with a love of science and various subjects. We are able to do this by knowing the content, creating lessons for engagement, and then building relationships. Through small class settings online, we are able to get to know students and help boost confidence by simplifying information for comprehension. The Yamacraw Student Help Centre is a vehicle that allows us as educators to inculcate the love and basic understanding of various topics in all of the disciplines offered.

“Offering the service of personal self-developmental workshops for parents and students is important to us.”

Robinson added, “Parents are foundational to the success of any student. Supporting parents with adolescent children is also very important to us. It is important, especially out of the pandemic, for us to try to teach and expose parents and students to social-emotional learning. Teaching skills to become more socially and emotionally in tune with self/being self-aware, is important to the development of the whole person – be it parents or children. Thus, hosting and finding workshops that focus on key self-development and social-emotional awareness is critical to us.”

Parents of students enrolled in the Yamacraw Student Help Centre also have free access to TCOI’s parent club. They share parent resources, which are often webinars.

Robinson said TCOI partners with the National Parenting Division of the Department of Social Services to ensure that parents are aware of the parent workshops offered by the National Parenting Division and the Anglican Diocese of The Bahamas (Anglican Diocesan Pastoral Care Ministry). The National Parenting Division offered parent workshops every Tuesday morning and the diocese offered parent workshops every Thursday afternoon. In between, TCOI attempted to host internal workshops to address personal parent matters. Techcited Online Institute, in conjunction with the Yamacraw Student Help Centre, launched one parental workshop this term that focused on understanding financial reality.

Click here to read more at The Nassau Guardian

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