Thirty-five years ago an alternative learning centre and computer school was opened in the basement of the home of Neletha Butterfield, in Pembroke West. Care Learning Centre will be holding its annual graduation and prize-giving ceremony in the courtyard of the learning centre (former Woodlands School) at 12.30pm. Eight graduates will be graduating with their high school diplomas.

Once again this year’s ceremony will highlight the success of 16 to 17-year-olds passing their GED Test before the school leaving age of 18 and will be mentioned during the programme for their outstanding commitment to attending classes on a regular basis, additional studying, extra tutoring and a commitment to applying their academic skills.

The learning centre was founded by Ms Butterfield on 1st November 1983. She continues to be involved in the administration and GED instruction at the learning centre and states that as a community we must embrace alternative ways of learning. This is evident at her learning centre as graduates will be receiving honours for obtaining GED College Ready levels in Science and Social Studies of the GED Test Students have received more than one GED College Ready level score. The college ready score means that these students have demonstrated the skills to start college level courses. Depending on the school or programme they apply to they will not have to take a placement test or any remedial non-credit courses in college, they will be college prepared. We are very proud of their accomplishments and wish them all the best as the seek higher education especially one of the graduates who is enrolled at the Bermuda College in the Associate Degree in Art and Design. This student is to be commended as he showed great progress at Care coming from the Berkeley Institute’s Functional Academic programme.

Programme Director Treadwell Butterfield will announce the recipient of the Special Recognition Award, the recipient of the Perseverance Award in memory of the late Lloyd “Stiff” Burch — a graduate of the learning centre who was tragically killed in a road accident, the recipient of the Academic Achievement Award in memory of the late Graham Steede II – another graduate of the learning centre who was tragically killed in a road accident, Special Recognition Award in memory of the late Shayne Adderley, who was also killed in a road accident and the Community Involvement Award. He states that, “let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities because in each of us there is a private hope and a dream, which fulfilled can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength of our country.”

The ceremony begins at 12.30pm and Care would like to thank those in the community for their support for over three decades. This event highlights the positive roles that our young people and adults are achieving academically through alternative education. Pastor Henry Armstrong of Rhema Ministries will give words of encouragement to the graduates and students.

At the end of the ceremony there will be staff available to enroll students in the 2019 term and anyone interested in sponsoring a young person can email us at admin@care.bm or call the learning centre at 292-0915. We ask for your continuous support, we will end our anniversary celebrations with our Annual Tag Day on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2018 throughout the City of Hamilton giving thanks for 35 years of Educating the Community.

• This is a press release from Care Centre