The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

THE recently held talent showcase hosted by CI Gibson High School achieved its goals by giving high students an outlet for creative expression and by raising funds for the school’s Information Communication Technology (ICT) Department.\

Celebrating The Talents of Youth was the school’s very first talent competition which was held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. Students from both public and private schools were united through the creative arts in song, dance, poetry. The 26 student participants, covered songs, recited poems that promote, peace, love and spirituality. Others entertained the crowd with monologues, skits, and instrumental selections.

The Royal Bank of Canada’s Talent Award of $250 dollars went to Micheal Taylor of Mt Carmel who was the overall winner of the competition.

The red carpet was also rolled out for local celebrities including Bodine Johnson, Sammi Starr, Dyson Knight, Miss Daisy, who all imparted words of encouragement to the participants to continuously develop their love.

The CI Gibson ICT Committee decided to launch the talent competition with a two-fold purpose. They wanted to give talented students who did not have a platform otherwise, to be liberated by sharing, whether it was in the form of singing, dancing, reciting poetry, writing songs, or drama.?

Art pieces created by students were also on display at the event.

“Bahamian students can look forward to a bigger and better competition next year. I want to encourage all of our young people to stop fighting and start singing, dancing, acting, writing those original songs, plays, and composition pieces,” said Sharnell Fox, chairperson of the ICT Committee.

At the end of the event CI Gibson raised $1000. An additional $5,500 was donated by the Cable Cares Foundation. Ms Fox told Tribune Entertainment the donations will go a long way in introducing new technology that can be utilised in the classroom and assist students with their academic work.?

“This school is very old. There is much hardware, software, IT assistance, contractors needed for restructuring of classrooms, fixing roof rewiring of LAN cables. We have connectivity issues and so much more to deal with to bring the standard up to what Project INSPIRE with Ministry of Education envision,” she said.

Ms Fox said it is the goal of the Ministry of Education’s Project Office program called Project INSPIRE, to upgrade all public schools, from a technological integrative perspective. The donation and funds raised will be used to purchase needed hardware, software, and take care of any necessary training. They will also ensure the school has a functional research, math, reading, writing and science computer lab for all students to access.

“We also want to further develop our media centre which will be another access point for students to use the computer for research and class purposes. We are thankful to the Ministry of Education and the administrator’s of Project INSPIRE for all that they are about to do. It is an exciting time. We realize they do have a cap in terms of financial spending; and, we are grateful for Cable Bahamas’ donation to assist us with ensuring that we are not totally limited as it relates to execution of our ICT objectives and plans,” Ms Fox said.