VASTAR PROGRAM DONATES REFURBISHED COMPUTERS TO GRENADA SCHOOLS
WASHINGTON D.C. – JULY 27, 2022: Career & Technical Education Instructor Mr. Jay Lightfoot and participants of the Virginia Student Training and Refurbishment Program (VASTAR Program) of Northumberland High School in Virginia, have donated a mixture of Dell, Lenovo, and ASUS notebook computers to Grenada. The computers, if sold on the open market, will be valued at approximately US$200.00 each.
The VASTAR students refurbish surplus computers from the various United States agencies and donate them to high schools and other projects throughout the Americas. Last year’s donation was made to high schools in the Bahamas. This year’s donation were split between the islands of Grenada and St. Kitts and Nevis.
On May 23, 2022, Ambassador Smith hosted over 23 students of the VASTAR Program in a lively and interactive session, taking delivery of the 115 and notebooks – 35 of which will be used for training by Mr. Lightfoot on a future volunteer trip to Grenada.
Today, the computers were transported to Andrews Air Force Base, from which they will be flown directly to Grenada by a United States Department of Defense military aircraft on Saturday, August 13, 2022.
In addition to Mr. Lightfoot, the Embassy thanks Ken Hundemer and Phylliss Marshall of the Denton program, who are coordinating the effort to make this shipment possible.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will receive the computers, which the Embassy has earmarked for the Information Technology Labs at the Happy Hill, Westerhall, and Boca Secondary Schools, making good on a promise made to the technology department heads in March.
The Embassy also earmarked 10 laptops for a women’s technology training project scheduled to begin in St. Patrick’s.
