EIGHT PANYARDS TO GET TECH CENTRES FOR YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

Digicel Foundation CEO Penny Gomez (at the podium) and Pan Trinbago President Beverley Ramsey-Moore announced their partnership to commission 8 tech centres at pan yards on 11 August 2023, World Steelpan Day.

MONDAY, 06 NOV 2023: PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – Eight pan yards will open their own technology centres soon, courtesy the Digicel Foundation and Pan Trinbago. Already hubs of youth activity, these pan yards can look forward to including a computer lab and expanding their after school programmes and other youth engagement activities. 

Earlier this year, the Digicel Foundation in partnership with Pan Trinbago issued a call for registered Steelbands to apply for one of four opportunities to transform a space in their pan yard into a Technology in Education (TIE) Centre. 

Four Steelbands have been selected to transform their spaces into TIE Centres: NLCB Fonclaire Steel Orchestra, Valley Harps Steel Orchestra, Trinidad All Stars Co-operative Society Limited and T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps Steel Orchestra.

Eight Steelbands will open tech centres for their youth community modelled after this one at the Tobago Panthers Steel Orchestra pan yard which opened in 2022.

In August for World Steelpan Day, Pan Trinbago nominated the Pan-Demonium Steel Orchestra, Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra, Curepe Scherzando Steel Orchestra and the Couva Joylanders Steel Orchestra for TIE Centres.

Over the next few months, the Digicel Foundation team will be on the ground transforming these eight pan spaces into Technology in Education Centres, through an investment of TT$540,000. Each space will be upgraded and outfitted with 5 desktop computers, a printer, external speakers, computer desks and chairs.

The Digicel Foundation’s decision to use a ‘pan yard’ model for this year’s TIE Programme follows the success of its partnership with the Tobago Panthers Steel Orchestra last year. The Tobago Panthers offers a homework centre and several after-school programmes, supporting as many as 30 children daily. It has been credited with transforming the prospects of at-risk youth in the community.

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