|
Formal
launching of Small Islands Voice at Marigot Secondary School,
Dominica
The Marigot
Secondary School has been participating in the Small Islands Voice
internet-based youth forum since 2003. The students can log-on
to the forum, read, reply and submit articles of their own. They
have responded to several articles, as well as posting their own
article in early October on gang violence. The forum also gives
them the power to communicate with students like themselves in
distant countries and to get to know the things that are happening
in other schools and countries. An opportunity is also provided
whereby students can enhance their communication and writing skills.
However, in mid-October, due to persistent lightening and thunder,
the school lost both its modems and its phone line. Also, other
contributing factors (i.e. the system becoming overheated, and
the corrosion of the main board due to sea salt) restricted their
participation in the internet forum and negatively affected the
functioning of Computer Science classes.
This photo of the computer centre building
at Marigot School shows its proximity to the sea and salt spray,
and also shows the new air conditioning units that have been installed
to protect the computer hardware.
A formal launching
of the Small Islands Voice project was held at Marigot Secondary
School on Friday January 30th 2004. As part of the official launch,
computer equipment was presented to the school to allow them to
continue participating in the Small Islands Voice internet-based
youth forum. The Minister of Education gave an official address,
and the ceremony was attended by the teachers and students, as
well as parents and members of the community. Young people from
related projects, such as the Dubique/Grand Bay tele-centre, were
also invited. A report containing
photographs and a description of the day's activities has been
prepared.
|
