Rotary partners to develop Smart Distance Learning Classrooms
The Rotary Club of Dominica has partnered with the Rotary Club of Orléans (Ottawa, Canada) and the Rotary Club of Nepean-Kanata (Ottawa, Canada) to provide the Dominica State College with an online facility to provide skilled trades training. This facility will enable individuals to access training in sustainable building techniques that meet Dominica’s needs for Climate Resilient Construction. The project is valued at $104,500 USD ($282,150 ECD or $135,850 CAD).
This project is in collaboration with: The Ministry of Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training, and National Excellence; Ministry of Telecommunications and Broadcasting; Dominica State College; and Builders and Contractors Association of Dominica. The System Integrator selected to develop the on-line system is JERA Group, Canada.
The Dominica Association of Ottawa and the Dominica Diaspora have supported this and past Rotary projects in Dominica, through organized fundraisers and individual donations.
The skilled trades project includes the development and implementation of a Learning Management System (LMS) with Smart Classrooms across Dominica as well as a site in Canada. The system will provide multiple access points for training, initially at the State College and the Portsmouth Secondary School.
Among the many advantages of e-learning are time-efficiency and learner convenience, allowing students to work around jobs and other responsibilities. Students can attend a class from one of the Smart Classrooms or they can access courses using their computers, tablets, or smartphones, from anywhere.
Recorded versions of the online courses will be accessible to students who are unable to attend a previously scheduled session. This mechanism provides additional flexibility and accessibility, thus the time that the course is being delivered should not affect a student’s decision to apply. The system will also have the capability for on-job-site training.
Though the initial focus will be on building techniques, once implemented, the system can be used to access other learning programs through the Dominica State College.
The project partners and other stakeholders look forward to the support of the public for success this initiative.
For more information on this project, please contact the following individuals:
| Organisation | Contact Person |
|---|---|
| Rotary Club of Dominica | Cecil Shillingford Project Lead Tel: 767-235-4848 Email: cecil.p.shillingford@gmail.com |
| Rotary Club of Orléans (Ottawa, Canada) | Julia Ginley Project Lead, International Rotary Partner Tel: 613-883-1953 Email: ginleyjulia@gmail.com |
| Ministry of Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training & National Excellence | Dionne Durand-Smith Communications Specialist Tel: 767-266-5543 / 767-275-3676 Email: durandd2@dominica.gov.dm |
| Ministry of Telecommunications and Broadcasting | Gloria Joseph Permanent Secretary Tel: 767-266-4288 Email: psplanning@dominica.gov.dm Bennette Thomas Director of Telecommunications and Technology, Tel: 767-266-3275 Email: thomasb@dominica.gov.dm |
| Dominica State College | Monelle Alexis Public Relations and Recruit Officer Tel: 767-275-1217 Email: monelle.alexis@dsc.edu.dm |
| Builders and Contractors Association of Dominica | Gregor Fortune Email: gafortune@gmail.com |
About the partners:
- Rotary International is a worldwide service organization made up of over 1.2 million members and over 35,000 clubs. We are people of action. Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
- The Ministry of Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training and National Excellence is dedicated to providing leadership and support, in collaboration with all stakeholders, in the creation and maintenance of an enabling environment for the provision of holistic personal and social development of students which will result in citizens capable of contributing to the sustainable development of society.
The vision for the Ministry is “Each Child Succeeds.” The vision recognizes that every child can learn and has a right to a basic education. This vision places the pursuit of quality at the heart of education. We believe that what takes place in classrooms and other learning environments is fundamentally important to the well being of our children.
The educational system operates within the framework of the Education Act No. 11 of 1997 (PDF 2.3 MB). The Act, as stipulated in Section 3, seeks to provide “for the orderly and coordinated development of a relevant, varied and comprehensive educational system in Dominica characterized by excellence.” - The Ministry of Telecommunications and Broadcasting is mandated to position Dominica as one of the most competitive digital economic hubs in the region by creating the enabling environment for improved access to affordable and advanced telecommunications and ICT services on a robust, secure and reliable broadband infrastructure.” This is particularly critical in light of the present COVID-19 pandemic which has clearly highlighted the digital disparities and divide within the sector as citizens seek to use technology for everyday living. The Ministry is therefore cognizant of the urgent need to provide a secure digital infrastructure to facilitate the efficient delivery of online services whether in education, health, transport, private or public enterprises.
- The Dominica State College is the premier higher education institution for promoting excellence in teaching, learning, and research; providing high-quality, affordable and accessible educational programs; creating partnerships with regional and international higher education institutions; serving the needs of the government, business, industry and diverse campus communities; and facilitating the personal and professional development of its students, faculty, and staff. With a population nearing two thousand (2000), the college offers six (6) Certificate programmes, thirty-four (34) Associate degree programmes, and three (3) Bachelor’s degree programmes across its five faculties. As the institution continues to be dynamic and innovative, they provide tuition-free education to CARICOM nationals. This move actualized opportunities for students to gain work experience across the island, through the college’s mandatory Service Learning programme.
- The Builders and Contractors Association of Dominica (BCAD) is Non-Governmental Organization incorporated on June 10, 2005 and managed by an Executive Committee. BCAD’s Bye Laws require it “To encourage, promote, develop and support the various skills, trades and crafts normally used in the construction industry.” To this end it has spent tremendous resources in towards this developmental and educational object including: spearheaded and facilitated CVQ module certification of 45 persons in 2014/2015 by the Trinidad and Tobago National Training Agency; conducted industry survey to asses status and developmental needs in 2018; and developed and helped deliver the “Construction Management 1” course with the University of the West Indies from September 2019.
