AUA deepens education support with classroom donation to ABCAS

The American University of Antigua has handed over 20 whiteboards and a batch of flip charts to a local tertiary college, reinforcing its standing as a steady backer of education.

The donation to the Antigua and Barbuda College of Advanced Studies lands just before the new academic year. At least 10 of the boards are valued at more than $1,000 each.

College President Dr Ezra Jonah Greene said the gift carried real weight in both cost and classroom value, with the bulk of it earmarked for the institution’s incoming School of Agriculture.

“So we are talking about a significant donation,” Greene said. “And we didn’t only get the whiteboards, we got some smaller ones, and we got quite a few of the flip charts.”

She described AUA as a long-standing supporter and a continuing philanthropist in education, placing the latest gift within a wider pattern of giving from the medical school to the wider learning community.

Greene said the flip charts would support short courses and group work, while the boards would lift the learning environment across classrooms. The handover, she added, fitted the college’s growing web of partnerships with the business community and other schools as it expands.

The timing matters. ABCAS is preparing to bring its School of Agriculture associate degree programme online for the coming year, and Greene framed agricultural sustainability as a national priority and one of the most important areas for Antigua and Barbuda.

She said the Cabinet had agreed to provide whatever the school required to begin operating, while the Board of Education would back the necessary infrastructural work under a pathway created by Education Minister Daryll Matthew.

Greene invited residents to apply, casting the programme as an opening for anyone seeking certification, a career in the field, or a route to self-employment.

The donation also arrives during a landmark period for the college. ABCAS is preparing to graduate its first cohort, with more than 200 students set to complete their studies this year.

Greene said the college had built a series of events around the milestone rather than a single ceremony, including a graduation social, an honours evening, and a grad summit linking graduates with the business community.

The summit would connect students with entrepreneurs, scholarship providers, regional universities, and prospective employers, alongside support for curriculum vitae reviews and interview preparation.

The University of the West Indies, Monroe College and AUA are among the institutions expected to take part, underscoring the donor’s continued involvement beyond the equipment handover.

The college has confirmed it is recruiting its next intake, with early-bird applications open until 30 June. Greene encouraged prospective students to apply through the college’s social media pages or at the Harrison Centre, and said staff would be available by telephone or email to guide applicants through the process.