![\"btvi-7026\"](\"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/btvi-7026.jpg\")
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Nine boys from L. W. Young Junior School have been positively impacted since participating in a dual enrollment program at The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institution (BTVI).<\/p>\n
The reintroduction of the special initiative, which ran between September 2014 and April 2015, exposed the youngsters to the art of painting while providing them the opportunity to channel their practical skills.\u00a0 They learned about surface preparation, drywall finishing, basic painting and they refinished two vintage chairs.<\/p>\n
While completing junior school, the ninth graders took three classes at BTVI including Introduction to Painting along with Maths and English on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 am to 3 pm.<\/p>\n
L. W. Young\u2019s vice-principal, Stephen McPhee, who noted that while the boys did not have behavioural problems, they lacked motivation.<\/p>\n
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\u201cOnce children are motivated and their self-esteem increases, there is nothing they cannot do. Motivation is a huge driver of learning. Even their attendance and punctuality at school have improved. Their whole value of themselves has increased,\u201d said Mr. McPhee.<\/p>\n
BTVI\u2019s painting and decorating instructor, David Barry, admitted that dealing with the boys initially proved challenging, but there was change for the better.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt became enjoyable.\u00a0 I saw maturity to the point that at the end, I allowed them to work on their own and they finished the job.\u00a0 That was a big plus when I witnessed that because as a painter you must learn to work without supervision.\u00a0 At the end, they all learned a skill,\u201d said Mr. Barry.<\/p>\n
From the program\u2019s onset, Mr. Barry hoped it would spark an interest in painting and decorating for the long term.\u00a0 This proved true for participant, Tre Romer who received the Most Outstanding Student award for the program.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to pursue painting and decorating.\u00a0 It shows me I can exceed in life, and some of the things I didn\u2019t pick up in school, in Maths and English, I learned at BTVI,\u201d said Tre.<\/p>\n
His father, Trevor Johnson, expressed how proud he was of his son.\u00a0 \u201cIt brought tears to my eyes that he got the honour.\u00a0 Some people consider painting, but he has been introduced to the trade while in junior school.\u00a0 I hope he continues,\u201d said the beaming dad.<\/p>\n
Additionally, during L. W. Young\u2019s graduation, principal, Janet Nixon thanked BTVI for helping the boys to \u201crecognize self-worth in painting and decorating.\u201d\u00a0 Meanwhile the Ministry of Education\u2019s Northeastern District Superintendent, Dressler Sherman, echoed those sentiments, acknowledging BTVI for its \u201cinnovative program.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the role the program has played in the lives of the young men, BTVI\u2019s Dean of Construction Trades and Workforce, Alexander Darville, said it has been a gateway for a brighter future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe dual enrollment program was a vessel to jump-start them into technical education.\u00a0 They now have a skill and have already been prepared for the world of work.\u00a0 Moreover, self-worth has become evident in the boys.\u00a0 This is how we change lives,\u201d stated Mr. Darville.<\/p>\n
The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institution (BTVI)<\/p>\n
Captions:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n OUTSTANDING STUDENT – Tre Romer who received the Most Outstanding Student award for BTVI\u2019s dual enrollment program is shown here with employees of BTVI including from left: Dean of Construction Trades and Workforce, Alexander Darville; Painting and Decorating instructor, David Barry and Dean of Academic Affairs, Pleshette McPhee.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n CHANGED LIVES \u2013 Five of the nine L. W. Young boys who recently completed BTVI\u2019s dual enrollment program while simultaneously finishing junior school are shown here.\u00a0 From left to right are: Donavan Saunders, Tre Romer, BTVI\u2019s Academic Dean, Pleshette McPhee, Nathaniel Munroe, Sacha Stubbs and Trenton Outten.<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nine boys from L. W. Young Junior School have been positively impacted since participating in a dual enrollment program at The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institution (BTVI).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":120243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_10223285771444175_51037792744":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[204,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-120242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=120242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120242\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/120243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=120242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=120242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bahamasb2b.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=120242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}