Cumbrae Primary has received a major funding boost to help children, parents, and Ukrainian refugee families living in the area.
The local school has received a £6,800 grant to develop the skills of children, parents and the wider community in robotics, coding and engineering.
The funds will help purchase resources, which would otherwise be unobtainable, to upskill children and promote an interest in coding and robotics which will equip them with lifelong skills for the 21st century.
Parents will be invited to the sessions to promote family learning.
Refugee families will be targeted to help them feel part of the Cumbrae community and improve English as a second language.
The skills the adults will learn through improved language and digital knowledge will give them confidence in being able to join the local workforce using digital skills competently.
A school spokesperson said: "Without this grant, because we are a small rural school with a small budget, we would never have been able to purchase these materials which will now have an incredibly positive impact on our children’s learning and help improve their digital skills and confidence in this area."
The North Ayrshire ISLANDS Skills Initiative fund is a pilot initiative, funded by the Scottish Government from January – March 2023, aiming to support islands such as Cumbrae in addressing education and skills challenges through increasing opportunities for education and skills provision,
This is through work-based learning pathways and to trial new approaches that respond to local skills requirements for jobs on Cumbrae.
The funding was confirmed at the recent North Coast Locality Partnership meeting held in Clark Memorial Church in Largs which was attended by councillors and community councillors representing the island.
Other funding awards went to Millport Town Hall who received £7,500 for a development Wwrker post, website, training and iPad purchase.
Cumbrae Community also received £7,500 for equipment to establish a learning centre (6 x PCs, 2 x printers & lamninator) and a training course.
Other beneficiaries included The Pier Hotel, which received £2,930 for training for a new and existing staff in hospitality related course, and Kay Starr TV for £1,500 to offer seven creative workshops to encourage entrepreneurship.
'Loom with a View' received £520 for delivery of spinning and weaving workshops to island residents. This will help provide tabletop looms shaped like the island and teach residents how to weave pieces that are shaped like Cumbrae. Residents will then be able to sell their weaving at a craft fair held in the community hall in the Garrison grounds.
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