Jamaican Early Childhood Institution Benefits From The Stone Foundation's Outreach

by Spencer Stone
(Richmond, VA (US))

Richmond, VA (11/2014) – The Stone Foundation is a Richmond, Virginia (US) based 501 (c) (3), non profit organization whose mission has been to promote health and education in communities of the world with needs.

The Foundation’s latest project is building a solar energy system for Gordon’s Early Childhood Institution in Big Bridge, Westmoreland Jamaica. This project is aptly named Solar Energy for Education (SEE).

The Stone Foundation (TSF) began assisting Gordon’s Early Childhood Institution almost a decade ago. At that time, Gordon’s Early Childhood Institution was a one-room schoolhouse, serving over 80 students.

With the aid of TSF and others, Gordon's Early Childhood Institution is now a four-room school!

Educational resources have increased exponentially. TSF has painted the school, built tables and benches, put in a driveway, built a playground, painted and repaired the building structure, landscaped the grounds with plants and trees, and fenced the school area.

However, more work needed to be done. The school still gets very hot inside, the rooms get very dark when it rains, there’s no electricity and no modern educational resources.

To remedy these deficiencies, TSF, with strong support from Abakus Solar, The Microsoft Corporation, BNW Builders, Integrated Power Sources of Virginia, Negril Tree House Resort and Blue Sky Energy, is building a solar energy-based educational system for the school.

This solar energy-based system includes solar panels, batteries, a charge controller, an inverter, ceiling fans, lights, a security system, computers, software and a visual educational system.

These improvements will greatly increase the educational experience and outcomes of the students at Gordon's Early Childhood Institution. And, the school will incur no on-going energy costs.

TSF strongly believes that once the Solar Energy for Education system is installed and implemented at Gordon's Early Childhood Institution during the week of November 24-30, 2014, there will be an immediate increase in the quality of education delivered by the school.

In the future, TSF envisions using this model to aid other Jamaican schools with similar needs.

For more information on this project, please visit the project website at http://www.ourstonefoundation.org/solar.htm.

For more information about The Stone Foundation, visit our organization’s website at http://www.ourstonefoundation.org/.

See also: Canada Based Charity Reaches Jamaicans & Jamaican Charity Ideas