June 18, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release #100-09
NAVCENT Sailors Volunteer At Bahrain School
MANAMA, Bahrain – Ten Sailors assigned to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), visited the Regional Institute for Active Learning (RIA) School in Adliya, Bahrain, yesterday to spend time with children.
Every Wednesday as part of a recurring community relations (COMREL) project, Sailors volunteer their time at the RIA School socializing with special needs children, helping students with class work and spending time with children during recess.
“COMREL projects are an important tool for the U.S. Navy to give back to the communities we live in,” said Chief Petty Officer William Hammond, who helped organize the project. “The partnership we have with the RIA School is a wonderful opportunity for our Sailors to volunteer their time.”
The RIA School offers a year-round English curriculum with both a pre-school nursery and a special educational needs unit for those students with communication disorders.
During the visit, NAVCENT Sailors spent time playing with children, coloring decorations for the classrooms and assisting children with a variety of classroom activities.
“The kids are so much fun to work with,” said Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Teresa Hernandezdelavega, a NAVCENT Sailor who participated in the COMREL project at the RIA school. “I think it’s exciting for the kids because having contact with people other than their teachers and their family is something they look forward to every week. Spending time with them is well worth it.”
The U.S. Navy actively seeks new opportunities to volunteer in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
“Having the Sailors come here is a really positive thing for the kids,” said Christine Gordon, the RIA School Director. “You can see in the children’s faces just how much fun they are having. They learn valuable interaction skills when the Sailors give them special, individual attention; which is something most of them are not use to getting.”
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