AS part of ongoing efforts to invest in the island’s education infrastructure and support the academic growth of students, the Sandals Foundation is constructing handwashing stations at 12 infant and primary schools in St Ann, St Mary, Westmoreland, and St James.

The construction of the handwashing stations, which is valued at approximately US$22,000, is made possible due to support from Tito’s Handmade Vodka — a spirits company based in Austin, Texas, USA — the foundation said in a release.

In April, the company’s philanthropic arm, Love, Tito’s, donated US$25,000 to the Sandals Foundation to give back to the island’s hospitality workers and communities affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Now, bearing in mind the COVID-19 safety requirements for schools, the Sandals Foundation is working to help the island’s learning institutions meet the health, safety and sanitation measures, the release said.

Heidi Clarke, executive director at Sandals Foundation, said upon reviewing the Ministry of Education’s manual for the reopening of schools published in May, the team reached out to a number of institutions within tourism-dependent communities to assess their needs.

“We support the Government’s efforts to minimise the risks and spread of the coronavirus, especially within our schools, so it was important for us to see how we could help make the process as smooth as possible,” she said.

These handwashing stations and sanitation resources, “we hope will help promote best practices amongst students, parents, guardians, and teachers alike, create safer spaces for our young ones as they re-enter schools and help ease the anxiety of everyone involved”, Clarke continued.

In addition to the handwashing stations, plumbing and drainage infrastructure which will be erected at the entrances of schools, institutions will be provided with automatic hand soap dispensers, start-up hand soap and paper towels, signage to encourage proper handwashing, hand-held thermometers, and reusable masks for teachers and staff.

Schools in Westmoreland that are benefiting are West End Early Childhood Institution, Torrington Early Childhood Institution, West End Infant School, Culloden Infant School, Kings Infant and Primary School, and Whitehouse Early Childhood Institution.

Exchange All-Age, Seville Golden Preschool and Ocho Rios Primary School will benefit from the upgrades in St Ann, while in St Mary, Boscobel Primary and Infant School will see the new handwashing stations erected. And the targeted schools in St James are Leonora Morris Infant and Primary School and Whitehouse Basic School.