St. Leonard’s Boys’ School was placed in the spotlight recently when the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), recently hosted a reception in Geneva, Switzerland, marking the close of its year-long commemoration of the ITU’s 160th anniversary.
Held under the theme From Connecting to Empowering: The Giga Journey, the event highlighted how digital connectivity empowers students, communities and countries. It also highlighted the joint ITU and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) initiative, Giga, which supports governments in connecting every school in the world to the Internet.
During the reception, there was a testimony from St. Leonard’s Boys’ School, where students shared experiences with Internet access, demonstrating the positive impact of connectivity on education and progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador of Barbados to the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and other International Organizations in Geneva, Matthew Wilson, expressed pride in this country and St. Leonard’s Boys’ School being featured.
“Thank you, ITU and the Giga team for placing this spotlight on my country and for highlighting that this is not just about an internet connection, this is about something even larger. Giving a voice to students around the globe to exchange, to amplify and to engage with the world around them,” Mr. Wilson said.
He continued: “This is about galvanising ideas and allowing students to think and dream beyond their borders. This is about the impact of this knowledge generation and this curiosity, not just on the students and the teachers, but on their families and society.”
According to the Ambassador, the Giga Phase 2 pilot programme increased internet bandwidth speeds across 27 schools in Barbados between July 2023 and March 2024. In addition, 106 schools are now mapped on the Giga Project Connect platform, with 11 using the Project Connect Daily Measurement App. At St. Leonard’s Boys’ School, 64 students and adults from surrounding communities also completed the Community Digital Skills Programme.
“This work, including the ongoing partnership with the ITU Caribbean Office and the Caribbean Telecommunications Union, is expected to be transformational and aligns perfectly with the focus of the Ministry of Educational Transformation, which recognises that equipping our next generation with digital access, skills and literacy, coupled with the adoption of the Child Online Protection framework, is fundamental to creating a future and safe next generation full of curiosity, excellence and innovation,” Ambassador Wilson stressed.
The networking reception was organised by the Diplomatic Club of Geneva and hosted by Giga, at the Giga Connectivity Centre.
