Captions: L-R) Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Works Arlene Smith-Thompson, Mr. Guy Lester Malone, Hon. Mark Vanterpool, Ayana Hull, Karia Chrstopher and Under 16 winners (L-R) 3rd place Akyla Herbert,1st place Akeya Herbert and 2nd place Brittani Stoutt. Photo: VINO

L-R) Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Works Arlene Smith-Thompson, Mr. Guy Lester Malone, Hon. Mark Vanterpool, Ayana Hull, Karia Chrstopher and 17 and over winners (L-R) 1st place Anya Saran Schultheiss, 2nd place Pamela Penn and 3rd place Adel Pereira. Photo: VINO

“In cabinet we have given instructions to the Cabinet Secretary to stop sending us reports in hard copy, we now receive them by email, and access them on our computers, laptops and Ipads,” Minister Mark Vanterpool stated at a press conference and awards ceremony for World Telecommunications and Information Society Day at the Moorings Conference Room, yesterday, August 1, 2012.

Hon. Vanterpool said with the efforts being made by him and his fellow Government Ministers, “we are getting there slowly, but we want to show example at the cabinet level by help saving the world and keep it green and also to utilize the good technology.”

With this year’s Telecommunication theme being ‘Women and Girls in ICT’ (Information Communication Technology), he stated that it leads to gender equality, as so many women around the world are disfranchised from technologies.

The Minister added that he is convinced that the territory has so much to offer in the areas of telecommunications. “The possibilities are limitless in this area to make telecommunications the next economic frontier that can ultimately reap economies of scale for us, as is being done in countries of tourism and financial services.”

Winners of TRC Essay Competition

A campaign started on June 25, 2012, by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) of the Virgin Islands, that encouraged females who live in the Virgin Islands (VI) to submit a personally written piece about what technology means to them and how important it is. Six winners receiving awards from TRC.

The winners, ages sixteen and under were; 3rd place Akyla Herbert, 2nd place Brittani Stoutt and in 1st place Akeya Herbert.

The 17 and over winners are: Adel Pereira in 3rd place, 2nd place Pamela Penn, and 1st place Anya Saran Schultheiss. The winners received ipads and iphones.

According to the Director of Human Resources and Administration of the TRC Mrs. Karia Christopher, the competition was introduced to create an avenue for women and girls in the VI specifically to consider technology and encourage them to get into technology like the men of the world.

She said that in relation to the TRC promoting the use of the technological advances that are provided in the world today, they are not going against the mandate where parents are trying to get their kids away from the computer and other technological devices to focus on their school studies, but rather to promote the parents to monitor their kids with the technologies of the world and ensure they are used for the greater good.

“Last year’s theme was monitoring children in technology, so we encourage parents to encourage their child to develop skills in the technological world with the devices it provide, but also to protect them from the dangers that can follow such as, sexting and other things that can bring one down.”

Mrs. Christopher said that the commission also discouraged parents from putting computers in a child’s room, but rather in places such as the living room where the child(ren) can be monitored. “Put controls and locks on your computer; you trust your child but you want to jump before something actually does happen.”