Learning can be fun

From August 02nd to the 26th, the youngsters who are between the ages of seven to 12 years, participated in the Ministry’s inaugural Vacation Camp Initiative where they were exposed to many interesting experiences and created many positive memories. The overall vision of the Camp, which received the overwhelming support from line Minister, the Honourable Randall Mitchell, was to create a safe space for the children of the employees of the Ministry so that they can continue to perform their daily tasks and responsibilities while knowing that their children are safe and taken care of.

This four week programme, Minister Mitchell told Sunday Newsday was esigned to stimulate the youngsters’ sense of adventure; generate a positive intellectual and social environment; encourage team spirit; and help them to nurture a healthy respect for their peers, others and themselves.

As the curtains came down on this pilot project, tributes were made by some of the youngsters who had nothing but praise for the Camp which afforded them the opportunity to forge new friendships, develop creative and artistic skills through dance, art and craft, poetry and improve their awareness and knowledge of the many local sites and places of interest.

For his part, Minister Mitchell said he was extremely happy to have played a role in nurturing the youngsters.

In a show of appreciation, the youngsters staged a wonderful production for their captive audience which included Minister Mitchell; Permanent Secretary, Simone Thorne-Mora; Deputy Permanent Secretary, Marion Hayes; Departmental Heads, the Camp’s Committee members, Facilitators, parents and well-wishers.

In addition, there was a display of their arts and craft projects and a slide show of their adventures over the four week period. Tokens of appreciation were also distributed by the Honourable Minister; an interaction which they enjoyed.

At an informal session held at the start of the programme, Minister Mitchell reminded the campers of the old adage that “it took a village to raise a child”, only in this instance it was the Ministry’s family that was helping to nurture them during their Camp Experience.

Minister Mitchell also urged the youngsters to remain focused on their education which remains the main gateway to achieving their dreams and goals. In her remarks, Permanent Secretary Thorne-Mora reminded the audience that the idea for hosting vacation camps in the public sector was conceived in 2008 when the then Government formally agreed to the establishment of a Vacation and After School Programme to accommodate children of public officers, while their parents and guardians were at work.

This initiative also served to test the theory that productivity levels would not suffer as there would be no need for staff to use official working hours to drop, pick up and look after their kids during the long vacation period. The Ministry believes that the Camp delivered on its mandate and it is expected that a programme such as this would remain on the Ministry’s annual Work Programme once the necessary funding is available.