News Release: Hamilton, Bermuda – CARE Learning Centre is pleased to inform the public that all of their enrolled students are currently learning online and achieving their goals.

There are a few students who do not have access to a computer, laptop or Wi-Fi but we are working on how we can assist them.

During this time of uncertainty, we are continuing to offer educational plans, activities and assignments for students to work on at home.

Our GED Programme is a computer-based study programme that teaches the skills our students need in order to pass the GED test.

The students will get what they need when they need it, practice tests, interactive lessons and quizzes and real-time feedback on study time and progress in addition to providing a personalized student curriculum.

The learning centre noting the current challenges is closed until further notice and the Director, Neletha Butterfield, MBE, JP, is available for any assistance that is needed from both parents and students.

She is tutoring via her computer, phone and iPad assisting the students and monitoring their progress daily.

It was in 1983, approximately 37 years ago Ms Butterfield partnered with PEAL Mission Academy, under the direction of Dr Muriel M Wade-Smith, who for the first time in Bermuda ran a computer lab at her Smith’s Parish home and connected the host terminal via a modem and telephone line to Ms Butterfield’s residence in Pembroke where students were online learning through a programme from Computer Curriculum Corporation (CCC).

CCC was one of Simon and Schuster’s fastest growing units as a leading multimedia publisher for the K-12 education market.

I would state that Dr Muriel Wade-Smith was ahead of the online learning concept almost 40 years ago.

One might ask if we as a country caught on to this new computer revolution back then and implemented it in our schools where would we be today?

The programme is still available at the learning centre and over the years has been upgraded to the current learning environment establishing individual learning paths, access progress, assessments and measures results against appropriate standards.

It is also an individualized programme and it has a diagnostic component and students move at their own rate and pace.

Interesting to know that the programme was introduced to the correctional facilities in 1984 via modems from CARE Learning Centre back then at her residence in Pembroke to St George’s to the Senior Training School and Prison Farm and Dockyard to Casemates Prison.

These were exciting times offering similar courses in correctional facilities and receiving information on a computer.

We are very thankful to the Bermuda Telephone Company technicians who were all new to this and today say how PEAL Mission Academy and CARE were well ahead of the educational technology three decades ago.

We encourage parents to encourage their children to utilize the online service and for students to take responsibility for their work and assignments that are emailed to them so that when they return to the learning centre all students will be ready to continue to learn and be prepared for the GED Test.

It has to be acknowledged that our young people must be prepared today for the future belongs to them.

This is a brand new territory for some of us, we are working very hard to make this beneficial to our students and looking forward to assisting them during these times.

We do have a few students who do not have access to a laptop orcomputer and if there is a computer business, workplace or any individual that will like to assist or make a dona’on to purchase these items please call 505-7837. Or send us an email to  carelearning83@gmail.com. You can also visit our website:www.care.bm.3