SCORES of people gathered last Thursday at the Portmore Learning Centre in St Catherine for the launch of a Phone Recycling Programme that will see special-needs schools collecting unused mobile phones in exchange for new tablets and accessories worth over US$700 each.

The recycling programme, which is an initiative of the Digicel Foundation, was launched in partnership with Autism Ireland to improve the learning experiences of children with autism, helping them reach their full potential.

At the launch the foundation handed over educational packs that included an iPad, mini speakers, stylus, protective cover, and screen overlay to the Jamaica Association on Intellectual Disabilities (JAID).

JAID, which is the oldest and largest organisation in the country providing services to people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities, will be using these educational packs to teach children social skills.

Tablets have emerged as a popular and effective tool across the world for children with autism. It helps them in completing their homework, and communicating with others. Judine Hunter, programme manager for Special Needs at the Digicel Foundation, highlighted that Digicel wants to get the word out that technology is a great tool to improving the lives of autistic children, so much so that staff members have already donated more than 700 unused phones to the recycling initiative.

“We will be promoting this exciting programme among 14 of our special-needs partners islandwide. We want them to get involved and benefit from their own efforts to enhance the education and learning experience of persons with special needs,” said Hunter. “Each school will be given a recycle bin for students, parents, teachers, visitors, and other persons in their community to use to collect unused phones beginning June 23, 2014.

“What is important about this programme is that students with special needs will not only have an opportunity to benefit from the latest technology, but they will learn about how important it is to recycle,” Hunter added.

The programme ends on September 30 and educational packages will be handed over to its special-needs partners during the school year.

The Digicel Foundation will also donate $100,000 to the school that collects the most phones.