UTech, Jamaica 2015-16 Annual Report

Page 92 University of Technology, Jamaica ANNUAL REPORT 2015-2016 DIVISION OF COMMUNITY SERVICE & DEVELOPMENT Prof. Rosalea Hamilton Vice President Service to the community is one of the founding principles of the University of Technology, Jamaica. Every student and all academic and administrative units of the university contribute to keeping this principle alive – students, through 40 hours of structured community service and the Student Union’s Annual Tag Drive; staff members, through voluntary charitable engagement or professional service. The Division of Community Service and Development is the focal point on campus for community engagement. Community Development Initiatives Several Community Development initiatives were implemented during the reporting period.  UTech Connect: September 15, 2015: “ Community Connect” is a community festival which engages adjoining communities through the strengths of the University. Planned activities included outreach in communities of i) August Town on March 20, Kintyre - March 27, and Gordon Town - April 03. Seminars were held focusing on Community enterprise, Climate change and personal development and empowerment. The culminating festival involved community groups participating in sporting activities, entertainment, health screening, educational fair and art and craft sales.  Agency/ Institution Support: March 15, 2015: The department coordinated a training workshop for the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) which involved 28 coaches from schools and communities in Kingston. The workshop focused on child protection and safety and targeted instructors who interfaced with children involved in physical activity. Partners for the workshop included the Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) and Child Development Agency (CDA)  Project proposals: The department submitted a proposal to JSIF to train 15 inner city youth in the fundamentals of computer animation over twelve (12) consecutive Saturdays from April to June. SCIT provided guidance on the technical component of the course and committed the use of lab space and tutors to implement the training.