Browsing by Author "Pantin, Gerard, Fr."

Now showing 1 - 9 of 9
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    A mole cricket called SERVOL
    (Bernard Van Leer Foundation, 1979) Pantin, Gerard, Fr.;
    An innovative project started in 1971 in Trinidad to bring about self-reliance and freedom from dependence in poor communities, Servol has grown steadily and shows significant results. Under local leadership, a series of activities were begun, until the programme took shape as a voluntary organization--Service Volunteered for All (SERVOL). The setting up of nursery schools/daycare centres proved one successful way of engaging community interest and support and most of the schools soon passed into the control of local village councils. Another point of entry for urban people was the creation of vocational courses for young people aged 15-19 who dropped out of school but remained unemployed. The trade training courses have proved effectively that production and education can be linked. As Servol institutions grew, it was found that they became polyvalent, embracing activities that involved all sectors of the community from babies to adults and the aged, so that now they are termed Life Centres. While originally based on an urban environment, Servol has developed projects in rural areas, for agriculture, health services, and preschool education, again integrated in the Life Centre approach. Throughout its growth, Servol has retained a catalytic role in community development, making use of local para-professionals and transferring control to the community as soon as possible. To better perform this function, the organization set up a training centre, which is open to students from other parts of the Caribbean
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    Footsteps: The Servol spirituality course
    (Servol, 1990) Pantin, Gerard, Fr.;
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    Linking school and community
    (Bernard Van Leer Foundation, 1974) Pantin, Gerard, Fr.;
    A small organization of volunteers in Trinidad and Tobago created nursery schools for children of disadvantaged groups in 1971. The use of community resources was stressed, as well as the importance of preprimary education and the role of school community relationship. In this experiment, every effort was made to avoid interference with local cultural forms. The primary school teachers belong to the community; supervisors are responsible for inservice training; parent participation is looked for. The whole curriculum is planned to draw upon local resources. Preschool education, considered as a base for all educational programmes for community development, is associated to parent education programmes informing adults of the needs of children--many have medical and nutrition problems. Effective communication with all members of the community has been established. The imparted values correspond to the local cultural background
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    Primary school curriculum planning and selected case studies
    (UNESCO, 1983) Pantin, Gerard, Fr.;
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    The mobilization of grassroots communities: The experience of Servol
    (UNESCO, Feb. 1984) Pantin, Gerard, Fr.;
    This report is a brief personal account of various experiences of the founder of Servol (Service Volunteered for All) working with grassroots communities in Trinidad and Tobago. It presents examples of paradigmatic situations in which a community worker might find himself, and puts forward proposals on how to deal with community problems such as: initial suspicion; workers' cultural arrogance; how to carry out projects effectively; how to involve the community in projects from the earliest stages. According to this experience, all constructive changes have to come about through the mobilization of grassroots communities
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    The Servol Life Centres
    (Servol Ltd, 1979) Pantin, Gerard, Fr.;
    This publication summarizes the evolution of the basic ideas and philosophies of a community development organization called Servol in Trinidad, and recounts how, over nine years, these ideas coalesced into a unified approach. The document describes how the earliest projects--a welding institute, a clinic, a nursery school, and recreational facilities--were supplemented by masonry and electrical training, and how skills training for girls was introduced as Servol shifted from a "street dialogue" approach to a greater emphasis on skills training and on-the-job training. The document also describes the emergence of the "life centre" idea (so-called because Servol was interested in people's entire lives, not just part of them), and Servol's family farm project. Finally, the document assesses the value of Servol against the backdrop of the problems of rural-urban drift in the Third World and discusses what kind of people make the best life centre workers. Appendices contain details of future plans and a structure and personnel organization chart
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    The Servol village: A Caribbean experience in education and community
    (Bernard Van Leer Foundation, 1984) Pantin, Gerard, Fr.;
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    Using preprimary education as a means for developing slum communities: A case study of "Shanty Town" in Port of Spain, Trinidad
    (OREALC, 1980) Pantin, Gerard, Fr.;
    This case study is an example of the trend to include a community's living conditions and traditions in the context of preschool education. It describes the environment, namely, the poor quarters of Port of Spain, where a nursery school was established in 1970 with the means available, and it then shows the results of a preliminary evaluation of this education for development. It also discusses teacher training and the progress made in the field of hygiene and dietetics. The last two sections concern the infrastructure for sports, medical care, and community action that were developed around this nursery school