 Developing and expanding Steelepan in schools in St. Lucia was the proposal title submitted to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO for funding under the UNESCO Participation Program Call for 2022-2023. The initiative seeks to raise the level of appreciation for Steelepan music among the youth and in so doing contribute to the preservation and expansion of the Steelepan art form in St. Lucia. Secretary-General of the National Commission for UNESCO, Marcia Simforian, says the safeguard of intelligible cultural heritage is a core component of UNESCO's mandate and critical to the safeguard of the island's cultural heritage and the development of growth of any art form in youth engagement, interest and participation. And the project was approved by UNESCO in light of its intersectoral nature. As it cuts across a number of UNESCO thematic areas including cultural, skills training and youth development. Through the implementation of the project, the Ministry of Education will also provide an avenue for young persons to utilize their creative talents in a positive way and as well develop the musical skills of youth in these communities and skills which can later serve as a viable means of self-employment. The project, which is the brainchild of Education Minister and MP for Denry North, Honorable Sean Edwin, consists of two key components, the purchase of Steelepans for the implementation of the program and the capacity building through training and development for students and teachers. Minister Edwin says the key outcome for Denry North is the opportunity for students from the community to be meaningfully engaged and skilled in the arts of playing Steelepan. Students, I want you to take the pan lessons very, very seriously. If you do well in music, there's a chance it will improve your performance in the classroom, okay? So that everybody at the Denry River Combined School, the students from the Olio Combined School, the Larissus Combined and Ritvo Combined School, as a result of your involvement in music, we will see improvements in the quality of work you produce in your exams and even on your home assignments. The handover of the Steelepan signals the first step in the development of what the National Commission hopes will become a very successful Steelepan program within Educational District 5. Shanjeh Reeve, who is the Education Officer for the district, shares the hope the program could be replicated in other schools within the district. Because there is a need for it and persons like me with a musical background, of course I must embrace such. We have a district loaded with opportunities of teachers with the ability to produce music and so we embrace such. The program handover comes on the heels of the observance of the 43rd anniversary of the National Commission's establishment on February 2nd. The project underscores the continued commitment of the St. Lucia National Commission for UNESCO in providing support to St. Lucia's development agenda in UNESCO's views of competence, education, culture, natural science, human and social science and information communication. From the Communications Unit of the Department of Education, Innovation and Vocational Training, I am Chris Satney reporting.