A New USpace Comes to the Twin Towns

To wrap up tonight’s newscast, we’re excited to share the opening of a new USpace in San Ignacio. This initiative, driven by the Ministry of Education and UNICEF, aims to provide students with a vibrant space to learn, experiment, and innovate using digital tools. Now, let’s hear more from News Five’s Isani Cayetano.

 

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

The Government of Belize and UNICEF are continuing their mission to roll out USpaces across the country. This exciting initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Education, has already brought these innovative facilities to the Stann Creek and Toledo districts. Recently, the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena celebrated the inauguration of their very own USpace. Leading the charge is Namrita Balani, the Director of Science and Technology.

 

Namrita Balani, Director, Science and Technology

“We all had moments where we wish we had been exposed earlier, encouraged more and given a space to explore.  That’s why we decided that USpace had to be more than just a room with tables and chairs, and computers.  It needs to be a space where education, culture and technology meet, creating an environment where students can explore new  ideas, connect with their heritage and use technology to experiment and innovate.  A space where students can be exposed to new opportunities, a space where they can create in a safe environment, a space where they can innovate and discover the paths they never knew existed.”

 

Cayo Northeast Area Representative Orlando Habet, whose constituency proudly hosts the newest USpace, was present for the brief but meaningful opening ceremony.

 

Orlando Habet, Area Representative, Cayo Northeast

“I know that these initiatives are very special.  I know looking at the social component where it says that the core feature of USpace is to provide a supervised and safe environment where children can engage in organized activities designed to encourage play for social interaction, learning and self-expression.  Very, very, very, very important.  We see what happens in our communities many times, young people don’t have those spaces where they can interact with their peers.  And we have a saying that we’ve heard many times before that says, “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”

 

To keep students excited and engaged, they’ve created an environment that’s perfect for learning, experimenting, and creating. This effort has the full backing of UNICEF.

 

Natasha Mantock, Education Officer, UNICEF

“Today, we gather to celebrate a milestone in our digital transformation agenda under the theme, “Connection to underscore the critical need for safe, child-friendly spaces where access and services to resources are needed for children to succeed.  Our pivotal USpaces are leveraging technology to transform and accelerate learning and skills development represents a paradigm shift.  We’re leapfrogging traditional methods to embrace digital innovation for every child wherever they live, wherever they learn.  For this reason, UNICEF’s collaboration with the Ministry of Education, NICH and the Belize National Library Services continues to expand as it contributes to the realization of the right of every child.”

 

Isani Cayetano for News Five.