GREAT BAY--Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Melissa Gumbs has reported continued progress on several major Trust Fund projects connected to MECYS, including the new library, the Charles Leopold Bell School and the Sister Marie Laurence School.
Speaking during her weekly MECYS Update, Gumbs announced that mobilization at the site of the new library is expected to begin within the coming weeks. She said the contract for the project has been sent and that preparatory work is already taking place ahead of activity at the site.
According to the Minister, assessments of neighboring buildings are currently being carried out as part of the preparations for mobilization.
Gumbs described the library as one of the more important Trust Fund projects connected to her Ministry and expressed enthusiasm about seeing the development move into its next phase.
"The library is a project that is near and dear to my heart," Gumbs said.
She explained that the new library is intended to be a modern facility with a strong digital component and spaces that can support more than the traditional lending of books. The facility is expected to provide room for community activities, literacy-related events and other uses centered around learning and public engagement.
Gumbs said she is particularly looking forward to the return of a community space built around reading, writing and a love of storytelling.
The Minister connected the development of the main library to the recently announced satellite library at the Point Blanche prison, another initiative aimed at creating greater access to reading and literacy opportunities.
She indicated that additional details surrounding the main library project are expected as the mobilization process progresses.
The library is not the only MECYS-related Trust Fund project moving forward.
Gumbs also announced that mobilization can be expected at the Charles Leopold Bell School, signaling another step in the implementation of ongoing education infrastructure projects.
At the Sister Marie Laurence School, meanwhile, the Minister said significant progress is already visible. She pointed to the development taking place at the school as another example of projects advancing under the Ministry's portfolio.
Gumbs said she was pleased to see the progress being made across the different sites after efforts to move the projects forward.
She thanked the teams involved in advancing the projects and acknowledged the work that has been required to bring them to their current stages.
For Gumbs, the developments at the library, Charles Leopold Bell School and Sister Marie Laurence School represent tangible movement on projects that have direct connections to education, literacy and community development.
With mobilization at the library expected within weeks, activity anticipated at Charles Leopold Bell School and visible progress already underway at Sister Marie Laurence School, the Minister said she is looking forward to seeing the projects continue through their respective stages of implementation.
