AMICA HOUSE FOR GIRLS BUILDS A BRIGHTER FUTURE WITH TECHNOLOGY

Marie-Louise Belmar Singh, Assistant Administrator at Amica House, supervises the girls while they explore educational software in one of the Home’s computer labs.

PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – JAN 23, 2025 – In the fast paced age of digital learning, the Amica House children’s home in Curepe is using technology to help its young wards improve at school and plan for the future. The home for socially displaced girls currently has two fully equipped computer labs, unlocking opportunities for the girls that once seemed beyond their grasp.

The computer labs at Amica House, donated and maintained by International Game Technology’s (IGT) After School Advantage (ASA) Programme, were designed specifically for the girls to explore and excel in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. The desktops are loaded with educational software, including access to ABCmouse Early Learning Academy, an early-education programme that combines animated games and learning.

According to Marie-Louise Belmar Singh, Assistant to the Administrator at Amica House, the impact of this increased access to digital learning has been palpable. “The younger girls are really enjoying the interactive learning with ABCmouse, and it has helped turn reading into a fun activity,” said Belmar Singh. “For the older girls going into Form 5, the computer access has been crucial for them to research for their Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) School-Based Assessments (SBAs). They are taking every opportunity that they can to use the computers to further their studies.”

(L-R) Dexter Thomas, IGT General Manager - Trinidad and Tobago, Shavindra Tewarie-Singh, IGT People & Transformation Regional Senior Manager for the Caribbean, and Diana Acosta, IGT Director People and Transformation LAC, pose briefly while assisting young learners at Amica House in 2024.

For Stacy*, a 17 year old who attends secondary school in East Trinidad, the easy computer access has made it easier to complete her school work. “I am in Form 4 and currently doing my SBAs. I’m taking Math, English, Geography, Food and Nutrition, Home Management, Integrated Science and Principles of Business. For Geography especially, we have to do a lot of research, and I can look up the information at home to complete my work,” She shared.

“The girls are so eager to use the computers that we’re working on extending supervised computer time to meet their interest,” continued Belmar Singh. At Amica House, a safe home that provides care to vulnerable and at-risk girls, computer use is always supervised. Its partnership with IGT stretches back to 2013, and in addition to hardware and software donations, IGT has worked with Amica House to provide education on internet safety and ensure a secure online environment for learning. All of the devices at Amica have strict firewalls to block access to harmful sites and social media.

The partnership with IGT has also allowed Amica House to participate in ongoing career mentorship activities and the annual IGT Coding and Robotics Rock! Camp for Caribbean youth, all offered to beneficiaries of IGT’s ASA programme.

“Three of the older girls participated in IGT’s Coding and Robotics Rock! Camp last July and their favourite activity was learning how to build web pages. Now I have some of the younger girls asking me, ‘Miss, when will it be my turn to join the coding camp?’ We have seen the girls’ motivation and interest in their future growing as a result,” said Belmar Singh.

In May 2024, IGT staff Tanya Singh, IGT Global People Services Representative (front), Chelsea Alleyne, IGT Administrative Assistant (centre), and Akilah Howard, IGT Call Center Associate, volunteered to paint and refresh the computer room at Amica House.

Stacy echoed this sentiment, adding: “I love learning with technology, and one day I want to be an entrepreneur and the best nail technician in Trinidad.”

Between 2011 and 2024, IGT Trinidad and Tobago made over 50 donations to its 18 ASA Centres, including Amica House for Girls, providing state-of-the-art computers, online technology, software, and employee volunteer hours. The company aims to address the increasing digital learning needs of today’s young people, supporting girls like Stacy in reaching their full potential.

*Name changed for confidentiality.

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About IGT’s After School Advantage Programme:

As part of IGT’s Sustainable Play™ initiatives, After School Advantage (ASA) is the company’s flagship community initiative, devoted to providing youth with access to technology at digital learning centers in communities where IGT operates. The program ensures students have access to participate in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) educational opportunities while developing the knowledge and skills for the jobs of tomorrow. Since 2011, IGT and its subsidiaries have opened 39 ASA computer labs across the English-speaking Caribbean. As part of the Company’s ongoing commitment to supporting its global communities, IGT aims to continually enhance the technological awareness of students and prepare them to contribute to the social and infrastructural development of the Caribbean.

About IGT Trinidad and Tobago:

As the full-service lottery provider to the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB), IGT

manages the distribution, accounting and validation of the Lottery’s instant ticket business. In addition to lottery and instant ticket services, through VIA, a commercial services company, IGT provides prepaid mobile phone top-up and bill payment services over lottery terminals in Trinidad and Tobago.