ST ANN, Jamaica — The Sandals Foundation has donated more than 1,400 tablets to students across the island to assist with distance learning.

The donation forms part of more than 2000 tablets, which have been sourced to support the Caribbean’s online learning needs following the successful execution of the organisation’s “Lessons Alive” social media fundraising campaign.

The foundation said the devices were made possible through designated donations from Sandals Resorts International, major partners including Digicel Foundation, Rainforest Seafood, Fontana, Grab N Go, Fraser Fontaine and Kong Insurance, Billy Craig Insurance Brokers, 4Ys Foundation, and CPJ, and an incredible network of Sandals and Beaches Resorts guests.

It said the devices will support vulnerable students at more than 40 schools across the parishes of St James, St Ann, St Mary, Hanover and Westmoreland. The foundation noted that the devices have been equipped with the Ministry of Education Youth and Information’s e-Resource app as well as Digicel sim cards bearing two months data plan.

Heidi Clarke, executive director at the Sandals Foundation says the initiative is part of the organisation’s sustainable investment in the region’s education sector.

“It was very important for us to help make the transition to online learning as easy as possible. The digital transformation within our education system is inevitable as more of our lives’ activities are being done online. We must ensure our children are digitally literate and there is equitable access to the technological tools so they can continue their learning,” Clarke said.

In August, the Sandals Foundation launched the “Lessons Alive” social media campaign to help families across the Caribbean prepare for the new academic year and on October 5 expanded the reach of the campaign to target sourcing digital tablets to help with the growing remote learning needs.

The foundation said the digital learning landscapes across the seven countries in which it operates — Jamaica, Antigua, St Lucia, The Bahamas, Grenada, Barbados and The Turks & Caicos Islands were all assessed and intervention provided as needed.