A ‘HOME’ AT LAST
Culloden Early Childhood Institute opens its ‘green’ doors
WESTMORELAND, JAMAICA(September 9, 2011)–The Sandals Foundation made the long-standing dream of a permanent ‘home’, a grand reality for the students and teachers of the Culloden Early Childhood Institute in Whitehouse, Jamaica.
Having been in operation for almost 40 years without a permanent facility of their own, resulting in frequent relocations, the Jamaican education landscape welcomed a brand new state of the art facility boasting environmental features such as water catchment, natural lighting and ventilation, solar resources and construction utilizing recycled material.
At the official opening ceremony, Adam Stewart, President of the Sandals Foundation’s Board of Directors, addressed an audience of government officials, local business leaders, teachers, students, and specially invited Sandals Resort guests, pointing to the importance of a partnership between private and public sector and how both entities can come together to make a change.
“This school is the culmination of a collaborative effort with the main objective being to provide a nurturing environment conducive to educating the minds of our nation’s future – its children. The Culloden ECI facility is a prototype which can be replicated across Jamaica and we thank our partners; the YellowBird Foundation out of Canada, our resort guests who have donated towards this project and all others who contributed their time and expertise to make today possible,” Stewart said.
The Honourable Andrew Holness, the Jamaican Minister of Education at the time, having toured the facility, praised the Sandals Foundation for its commitment to education and community development noting that the Culloden ECI project is a perfect example of non-government interests playing their role in the development of society. The Minister went on to announce that his Ministry will now take over the operations of the school.
“The Ministry of Education will add this Sandals Foundation adopted school to a select number of early childhood institutions that are fully subsidized by the Government of Jamaica. This will see to the payment of teachers’ salaries, utility payments and grants for nutrition programs,” Holness said.
An overwhelmed Janet Briggs, Principal of Culloden was elated at the Minister’s announcement proclaiming that that was simply the icing on a phenomenal day.
“The opening of this school is a major milestone for us as finally, after 38 years of waiting, we now have a place to call home. With the commitment of the Ministry of Education, not only do we have an outstanding facility in which to develop the minds of our students, but our teachers can now be assured of consistent salaries. We cannot thank the Sandals Foundation and the YellowBird Foundation enough for making this dream a reality.”
Approximately 120 three-to-six year old students will enjoy four spacious classrooms, a large eating area, a computer room, restrooms, an expansive play field for sporting activities, a mini green corner and a smaller play area outfitted with sea-saws, swings and a jungle gym. The school building also features a principal’s office, kitchen and store room.
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About the Sandals Foundation
The Sandals Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was created to continue and to expand upon the philanthropic work that Sandals Resorts International has undertaken. It is the culmination of three decades of dedication to playing a meaningful role in the lives of the communities where we operate across the Caribbean. The Sandals Foundation funds projects in three core areas: education, community and the environment. One hundred percent of the moniescontributed by the general publicto the Sandals Foundation go directly to programs benefiting the Caribbean community.To learn more about the Sandals Foundation, visit online at