Laguna Phuket to launch “Fully Booked!’ mobile learning center

Laguna Phuket has announced that it will be launching a new community project, “Fully Booked!”, which will see the opening of a new mobile learning center for schoolchildren.

The project is one of many initiatives set up by Laguna Phuket to support its wider strategic goal on social and educational development, which aims to build the capacities of local communities through socially beneficial projects, adequate educational support and access to quality educational services.

The “Fully Booked!” mobile learning center is aimed at helping to inspire younger schoolchildren to develop interests with books and improve their literacy through assisted reading.

As part of the long-term plan, the center will also work with rural parents to teach them how to read “to”and “with” their children, to encourage the learning process.

The center will travel to target schools, setting up a “pop-up” classroom on the grounds to provide schoolchildren with access to materials that are crucial for learning, but are very expensive and therefore unaffordable for many rural schools and families. It is hoped that this will reduce the literacy gap between urban and rural schools.

A qualified librarian cum teacher will be employed to manage the Mobile Learning Center and ensure the program runs efficiently. During the first semester of the academic 2014 year, the center will visit three pilot schools each week, servicing each target student at least one time a week for the duration of the term.

They will ensure that learning progresses are in line with the national curriculum and will keep the program relevant, fresh and engaging, covering topics such as the environment and English language skills.

Guests staying at any Laguna Phuket hotels will be invited to visit the mobile learning center at schools and join the teachers through interactive involvement by reading and playing interactive learning games with the children.

Since the project’s initiation two years ago, more than 2.2 million baht has been raised for the center through the generous support of Laguna Phuket triathletes, marathoners, associates and community members. A matching donation of 2.2 million baht was made by Banyan Tree Global Foundation to purchase and outfit the mobile vehicle, along with an additional 500,000 baht for purchase of books and learning materials.

“The ‘Fully Booked!’ program will benefit schoolchildren in Laguna Phuket’s community as well as neighboring areas, whilst maintaining close links with the group-wide Banyan Tree Seedlings initiative launched six years ago,” said Mr Ravi Chandran, managing director of Laguna Phuket.

“Education is a cause very close to our hearts, and we are excited to see the center at the launch later this month.”

The launch is scheduled for Friday, April 25, and will be followed by the center’s operation launch later in June this year.