On Thursday, April 7, the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown donated scholarship, study, and test preparation materials to the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute of Technology (SJPI). U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer Larry Socha and SJPI Principal Mr. Ian Drakes participated in the exchange. The resources are an important addition to the SJPI Media Resource Center, which serves as one of three of Barbados’ SAT Test Centers.
The books and materials were curated by the U.S. Embassy’s EducationUSA program, which promotes U.S. higher education to students around the world by offering accurate, comprehensive, and current information about opportunities to study at accredited postsecondary institutions in the United States. The donated materials offer support for college application writing, SAT preparation, athletic recruitment and scholarships, students with disabilities and learning differences, as well as overviews of colleges and universities in the United States.
“More than 300 Barbadian students study at U.S. colleges and universities every year, many of them through scholarship opportunities,” explained PAO Larry Socha. “Through this donation, we hope to connect even more students with academic opportunities in the United States.”
Principal Drakes explained, “This donation and newly-formed relationship between the U.S Embassy and the SJPI will prove to be an extremely lucrative one. As we push in Barbados for TVET to be considered an option when students reach the stage where they need to decide on an educational and/or career path, we are grateful to the Embassy for making the U.S a viable option, and also for providing students with the resources to have a chance at reaching their goals through this avenue. This donation will go a long way in levelling the playing field for our Barbadian students to have the same opportunities as others worldwide.”
Barbados hosts EducationUSA Advising Centers at the Barbados Community College and at the Information Resource Center at the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown.