IGT DONATION SUPPORTS SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION AT IMMORTELLE
The IGT volunteer team stand behind a student and the new desktops that the team just installed at the Immortelle Centre on 24 May.
TUESDAY, 04 JULY 2023: PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – In late May, IGT donated new technology to the Immortelle Centre for Special Needs in St. Ann’s. This marked the third phase of IGT’s donation as the Centre received new desktops and tablets to further support the needs of the students and to continue the great work being done in their educational programmes.
IGT General Manager Dexter W. Thomas and Immortelle Centre Principal Ms. Charlene Gittens place a commemorative plaque on the Centre’s computer room door, recognising their longstanding partnership dating back to 2015.
IGT team (from left to right) Shavindra Tewarie-Singh, Rowen Marshall and Akilah Howard proudly display the cupcakes made by students in a baking activity coordinated by IGT volunteers at the Immortelle Centre.
IGT has been an avid supporter of the Centre since 2015. The Centre is at the forefront of special education locally, providing students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities with life skills, multidisciplinary therapies, and opportunities for social interaction on a daily basis. Long before the pandemic forced schools to pivot towards digital learning, the Centre was incorporating technology in its classroom with the support of global technology company IGT’s After School Advantage (ASA) Programme, benefiting the Centre’s community of up to 80 students with special needs.
IGT employee Crystal Rodney shows a student from Imortelle Centre how to install one of the new desktop computers donated to the Centre through the IGT ASA Programme.
Immortelle’s Principal Charlene Gittens shared, “We use the devices donated by IGT in almost every single class, from preschool circle time up to adult vocational training. Incorporating multimedia tools during our lessons helps our students focus for longer, increases engagement, and has the added benefit of allowing learning to continue seamlessly between school and home, using online programmes so families can stay connected to a student’s progress.”
IGT General Manager Dexter W. Thomas engages students in a storytelling activity during IGT’s Global Giving Month activities on 24 May at the Immortelle Centre.
The Centre’s approach to learning aligns with the mission of IGT’s ASA programme, which is devoted to providing young people with access to technology in safe, nurturing environments and promoting opportunities for digital learning in communities where the company operates. The ASA programme places a special emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), while providing educational activities to support the workforce of the future.
Shavindra Tewarie-Singh, IGT Senior Regional Human Resources Manager, Caribbean, assists a student using the newly installed desktop computer donated by IGT to the Immortelle Centre.
“In the eight years of our partnership with the Immortelle Centre, IGT has facilitated three technology upgrades to ensure that the Centre’s evolving needs are met,” said IGT’s General Manager Dexter W. Thomas. “Most importantly, the IGT team has been afforded the opportunity to volunteer time and lend our support to the important work of the Centre, which has been an extremely rewarding experience for our employees. Our partnership with Immortelle Centre underscores IGT’s long-term commitment to the communities we serve through our ASA Programme.”
Students use the new tablets donated to the Immortelle Centre through the IGT ASA Programme.
On May 24, as part of IGT’s Global Giving Month initiative, Thomas and other IGT senior managers and employees volunteered to help teachers in the preschool and middle school departments, and coordinated a series of special activities for students. As cooking and music form part of the Centre’s diverse curriculum, the IGT team led students in a delicious cupcake baking session and read aloud from two musical local stories, Boy Boy and the Magic Drum and Petra and the Panman’s Daughter. In a heartwarming show of appreciation for IGT, one brave student followed up the storytelling by performing a tune on the tenor pan.
: Some of IGT’s volunteer team stand with Ms. Gittens, Principal of Immortelle Centre for Special Needs, as she displays copies of the local books donated to the Centre’s library following the storytelling activities led at Immortelle by IGT for the company’s Global Giving Month activities on 24 May.
ENDS
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.
About IGT:
IGT (NYSE:IGT) is the global leader in gaming. We deliver entertaining and responsible gaming experiences for players across all channels and regulated segments, from Lotteries and Gaming Machines to Sports Betting and Digital. Leveraging a wealth of compelling content, substantial investment in innovation, player insights, operational expertise, and leading-edge technology, our solutions deliver unrivalled gaming experiences that engage players and drive growth. We have a well-established local presence and relationships with governments and regulators in more than 100 jurisdictions around the world, and create value by adhering to the highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. IGT has approximately 10,500 employees. For more information, please visit www.igt.com.