Guyanese educator wins EU scholarship

Educator Lavern Thorne is the latest Guyanese to be awarded a full scholarship under the European Union’s Erasmus Mundus Scholarship programme to read for an International Masters in Early Childhood Education and Care at the Oslo and Akershus University in Norway, the EU delegation in Georgetown said in a press release yesterday.

The EU said that she will begin her studies in Norway from August for a five-month period and will also spend five months each in Malta and Ireland.

Thorne is currently employed at the Ministry of Education and is at present working on the Cadet programme where she is receiving training to become an Education Officer.

Ambassador Robert Kopecký (left) and Lavern Thorne

She is also a trained teacher out of the Cyril Potter Training College who graduated in 2000 and taught at the Leonora Nursery School until 2010 when she joined the Cadet Programme.

Thorne is a graduate of the University of Guyana, gaining in 2009 a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education with distinction.

She met recently with Head of Delegation of the European Union to Guyana, Ambassador Robert Kopecký for a brief chat on her award and her expectations over the next two years as she pursues her scholarship.

She expressed great surprise and appreciation at her selection and highlighted that she had applied in November 2011.

Thorne envisions returning to Guyana to use her training to develop education and literacy and wants to continue working in the field for which she expresses a great passion and commitment, the release added.

The European Union’s Erasmus Mundus programme aims to enhance quality in higher education worldwide through scholarships and academic cooperation between Europe and the rest of the world.