The Sandals Foundation, in collaboration with Hands Across the Sea, officially handed over to the students and teachers of Westerhall Secondary School a full range of new books for their library to in support literacy development.
Present for the brief ceremony was Founder and Co-Director of Hands Across the Sea, Mr Tom Linskey; Public Relations Manager at Sandals LaSource and Sandals Foundation representative, Ms Raelene Lazarus; Literacy Curriculum Officer in the Ministry of Education, Mrs Sandra Thomas and Principal of Westerhall Secondary School Mr Martin Mitchell along with his teaching team and a cross-section of students.
Hands Across the Sea has been dedicated to raising the literacy levels of Eastern Caribbean children, from pre-school to secondary school, through their Caribbean Literacy and School Support (CLASS) programme since 2007. The ongoing partnership between the Sandals Foundation and Hands Across The Sea is in keeping with the Foundation’s mission to support educational development in the Caribbean, and provide the means to inspire children and instill in them a love for reading.
This partnership is bringing literacy support to five schools across Grenada and lists Constantine Methodist, River Salle Government, St Andrew’s Anglican School and Blessed Sacrament RC (Grand Anse RC) in addition to Westerhall Secondary. The total investment from the Sandals Foundation of over EC$38,000 is expected to impact 1,879 students.
“We are so pleased to once again partner with Hands across the Sea to provide children here in the Caribbean with a wide range of exciting books,” said Mrs Heidi Clarke, Director of Programmes for the Sandals Foundation. “It has been proven that great books encourage reading, provoke thought and independent learning as well as improve overall reading skills which impact children in all subject areas. This partnership is just one more way we are helping to provide children with the tools they need to reach their full potential.”
The Sandals Foundation extended its ongoing partnership with Hands Across The Sea to Grenada as part of its commitment to giving back to the countries where Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts operate. To date, the partnership has seen to the building and equipping of ten school libraries in Antigua and Saint Lucia, as well as a public library.
