SHE IS a born Jamaican who has lived in Canada for the past 50 years. However, she has pioneered the availability of early childhood education to Jamaica's youth since 1987.
Volunteer Today spoke to Mrs. Walker.
VT: Why do you feel so strongly about young children being exposed to efficient educational systems?
RW: I believe that to stimulate the brain effectively at that stage is a major step in delivering an individual from total illiteracy.
VT: How do you contribute towards early childhood educational development personally?
RW: It is very amusing some of the things I do to get sponsorship and to promote the organisation. I remember once I was on a plane and I picked a conversation with a total stranger, trying to tell her about PACE. I was fortunate and today that person has adopted basic schools in Jamaica. This is how passionate I am about early childhood education.
VT: Are there any programmes that you spearhead at PACE?
RW: Yes, there is the exchange programme to upgrade the skills of pre-school teachers and related professionals. PACE grants financial sponsorship to teachers to attend George Brown College in Toronto, Canada, to further training in pre-schools education.
And I also spearhead the dollar-a-day initiative, that volunteers give $365 annually to
fund our Adopt-a-School programme. We have adopted 165 basic schools across Jamaica to date.
J.C.
