The Adult Training Facility at the Challenor Creative Arts and Training Centre in St. Thomas is just one of the departments there that will benefit from a donation of multimedia and computer equipment.

CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank recently gifted the Centre with a variety of equipment that will assist the various classes to enhance the teaching facilities and to help the office run more efficiently.

In the Rehab department, children with cerebral palsy who are unable to speak, will now be able to use the new touch screen laptop in their lessons and during therapy to communicate with the teachers. The other two desktop computers will be shared between various classes where children with autism can use the technology via special programmes and games that utilise the TEACCH system (Treatment & Education of Autistic related Communication Handicapped Children)

Older students in the Adult Training Facility, who are working towards their CVQs and studying Woodwork and Food Prep, now have the use of an LCD projector and 72-inch screen with tripod. This will allow the class to watch You Tube or Pinterest demos by chefs or carpenters, as part of their programme.

Printing in the admin offices will now be a little easier with the acquisition of the HP Officejet wide format printer that facilitates scanning and wireless printing from various workstations.

Deputy Principal of the Centre Juliette Cumberbatch explained that they are trying to create more revenue generating projects and the woodwork shop has created a press that they have been able to use for book binding. They have already produced some items and coming up to Christmas, the Centre will be offering, to the public, various products for sale including journals and notebooks initially and then eventually diaries and planners. These sales will assist the Centre to raise some much-needed funds to carry out its various programmes.

At present, there is a comprehensive woodworking programme where the students have been producing sturdy chairs and tables for the classrooms at the Centre as well as mailboxes for sale to the public. These skills equip them to be employed with any furniture company.

The boys are also involved in an extensive agricultural programme where they use the vast grounds at the school to grow a variety of produce that is sold to the supermarkets. They are also taught how to utilise the greenhouse built there to better protect some of their produce from pests.

A number of the students have already achieved Level I in Food prep as the Centre is a TVET accredited institution that issues CVQ certification on successful completion of the required exams.