Stepping Stone Needs A Helping Hand

Special Needs School Cries For Sponsors.

A SMALL non-profit school which focuses on tutoring at-risk, less fortunate and special needs children is making a strong appeal for sponsors to reach into their pockets and give them some much needed help in keeping the organisation afloat.

The Stepping Stone’s After School Care and Support Corps which is located at Colony House in Vigie works with children aged between 8-16 years of age from Castries and the surrounding areas as far as Gros Islet.

Since May this year, qualified voluntary tutors have been teaching English Literature/Language, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science and Common Entrance Classes . The school also offers behavioural and counselling assistance to develop communication skills, manage social and emotional problems and cultural enrichment.

There are currently four tutors at the school as well as a school board, all of whom are voluntary employees including a qualified counsellor and Sir Arthur Lewis Community College graduate who is gaining experience with hopes of furthering his education in the field.

Managing Director/Founder of the school, Joan Sylvester told The VOICE that the school believes strongly that educating young people is one of the critical avenues for progressive and sustainable growth of St. Lucia’s economy.

Sylvester, who has over 20 years of experience working in a number of Social Care Organisations in the UK, specialises in Front Line Child Protection Social Work, Family Intervention Support and Behavioural Modification with children and their families.

She said whilst essentially, the school was founded to offer homework support and extra tutoring as a supplement for the different schools, the staff have all gone above and beyond this agenda for the well-being of the children who attend.

Said Sylvester: “The parents of these children really don’t seem to have the money [to pay for extra tuition]. They’re from backgrounds where they’re not working. Children are coming from schools including Marchand Combined, Ave Maria Primary, Vide Bouteille, Anglican Primary, Entrepot Secondary and even as far as Corinth Secondary and the Gros Islet Secondary schools, for a spectre of reasons, some for the education and some because it’s somewhere for them to be at the end of the day.”

Sylvester added that the tutors even reach into their own pockets and provide the children with food and bus fare to return to their homes after classes. Although they are currently receiving the help of two sponsors for food items, they would gratefully accept more help. The costs for food and bus fare, she said, creates a major dent in operations.

The Managing Director said the main issue that the school is facing is finance. Tutor Carol Clemsha said rent and general maintenance of the facility is very high and with lack of funding and sponsorship, the situation is becoming worrisome.

Sylvester urged sponsors to lend a hand as they would be contributing towards community work that is highly beneficial to children who otherwise have nowhere else to turn to.

She said: “We’re preventing children who potentially are at risk, from going home to empty houses. Also we’re assisting them to be better people in their communities and homes. We need to sustain what we are doing so we would really appreciate the funding and sponsorship.”