News Releases

UWI Prioritizes Employee Well-being Through Childcare Support

For Release Upon Receipt - June 17, 2025

St. Augustine


St. Augustine, June 17th 2025 – The UWI St Augustine Campus has officially rededicated the former Evening University building as The UWI Child Learning and Discovery Facility, a newly purposed space designed to support working parents and foster early childhood development. The rededication ceremony took place on June 13, 2025, and demonstrated the Campus’s commitment to holistic staff engagement and community care.

The event was led by Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, who has long championed the dual initiatives that will now be housed in the facility: the After-School Care Programme for staff and the future The UWI St Augustine Preschool.

 (L–R) Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Education, Professor Elizabeth Walcott-Hackshaw; Group Vice President of Republic Financial Holdings Ltd., Ms. Karen Yip Chuck; Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of The UWI St Augustine, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine; Campus Registrar, Dr Dawn-Marie De Four Gill; and Campus Bursar, Mr Kevin Kalloo, participate in the rededication ceremony for The UWI Child Learning and Discovery Facility on June 13, 2025.

“The After School Care Service, was born out of a need to look after the well-being of our UWI family. At our first listening sessions, one of the issues I heard was about the stress parents had in rushing out to meet their children and face the traffic before rushing back to work, which would have undoubtedly affected their productivity. As a Campus that cares about its employees and their concerns, the after-school centre was one of the initiatives I was especially passionate about,” said Professor Antoine.

Positioning the new facility as a model for the Campus, she added: “These initiatives, therefore, serve as a positive force for social change, enhancing the repair and development of our society.”

 

 Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of The UWI St Augustine, Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, is joined by children as she plants a tree during the rededication ceremony for The UWI Child Learning and Discovery Facility, held on June 13, 2025.

 

The new space has been redesigned to offer safe, affordable and high-quality care for the children of Campus employees, delivered by trained professionals in an engaging environment. Its services will be further expanded with the addition of The UWI St Augustine Preschool and an upcoming vacation camp. The vibrant vacation camp, carded for children aged 4 to 12, will run from July 14–31, 2025 and will feature language immersion (Spanish/French), music and dance classes, indoor and outdoor play, nutritious meals, two exciting field trips, and a fun-filled closing celebration—all for $2,000 with limited spaces available.

Key to the project’s success was the generous support of Republic Bank Limited (RBL). Representing the Bank at the ceremony, Ms Karen Yip Chuck, Group Vice President shared: “It has been our privilege to help with the restructuring of this facility and I got my early walk-through because we recognise the transformative effect that early childhood education can have on our little ones.”

 

 Attendees and contributors at the rededication ceremony for The UWI Child Learning and Discovery Facility, hosted on June 13, 2025.

Professor Antoine praised Republic Bank as an ideal partner in advancing social progress: “I believe Republic Bank is a prime example of the good that can be accomplished when the private sector gets involved.”

The ceremony concluded with the planting of a commemorative tree, symbolizing the renewal and growth that the new facility represents for generations of The UWI families to come.

For persons interested in participating in the Summer Camp, they may register at the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/XEf5pxfamC or contact Ms. Rena Jangeesingh at 274-5769. Camp registration is open over the period June 23-June 27 and begins on the 14th July.

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About The University of the West Indies

 The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is the Caribbean’s premier higher education institution and one of only two regional universities in the world. With five campuses across the English-speaking Caribbean and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe, The UWI continues to be a beacon of academic excellence, research innovation and societal impact. Consistently ranked among the world’s best by Times Higher Education (THE), The UWI is a global leader in addressing critical challenges, including climate change, sustainability and development.

 As The UWI St. Augustine Campus celebrates its 65th anniversary in 2025 under the theme Beyond 65: From the Caribbean, For the World, it pays tribute to its Caribbean roots while highlighting its contributions to solving global challenges. This milestone underscores the campus's significant role in producing ground-breaking research and fostering talent that transcends regional boundaries to shape a better world. The UWI St. Augustine’s researchers, academics and graduates continue to make an international impact, exemplifying the university’s mission to serve the region while influencing the world.

  Learn more at www.uwi.edu 

  

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