
In September 2018 Laureen joined the Bina Hill Institute Youth Learning Center as its Principal. The center is the only tertiary educational institution in the country’s hinterland, located in Guyana’s North Rupununi district. Although the two-year syllabus includes English and math, classes focus on areas relevant to life in Guyana’s interior, such as agriculture, natural resource management, forestry, tourism, traditional crafts and Makushi, one of the local indigenous languages.
She said she is keen to encourage a well-rounded education, which includes making students understand that Amerindian culture, indigenous culture, is important — and it’s important to learn about it. [12-19]
Before coming to CIE some of her work included:
During my fourteen years as a researcher in the Amerindian Research Unit at UG, I was mainly engaged in ethnographic research activities that focused on Amerindian life and culture. But I was able to find many opportunities to be involved in development-related work, whether it was in an advisory capacity, or more directly as a project coordinator or trainer. From 1992 to 1998, I served as a regional coordinator and trainer for “The Community-Based Rehabilitation Programme.” This was an integrated development program that offered knowledge and skills in literacy, numeracy, primary health care, early child development and issues involving disabilities to adults from approximately 40 Amerindian villages in the Rupununi Savannahs.
During 1998-1999, I worked for the Caribbean Center for Development Administration (CARICAD), as a resident coordinator and trainer for a nationwide project on “Public Policy: Regional Administrations” for government administrators and community leaders. Both of these projects required working with adults in non-formal educational settings. [12-19]
Email: lpierre@mindspring.com