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Photo Caption: Secretary of the JN Circle Linstead Chapter, Kareen Dennis (right), presents breakfast supplies to Annette Steele (left), principal of Victoria Primary School.

A breakfast programme initiated by the JN Circle Linstead Chapter is having a measurable impact on student attendance and well-being at Victoria Primary School, a rural institution located just outside the town of Linstead.

The initiative was introduced in November last year, shortly after schools reopened following the passage of a hurricane and was born out of discussions between JN Circle members and the school’s administration during Read Across Jamaica Day activities earlier in the academic year.

JN Circle Linstead Chapter President Godfrey Marshall said the idea emerged after the chapter sought to better understand the school’s challenges.

“At the end of Read Across Jamaica Day, we were having discussions with the principal about the strengths and weaknesses at the school,” Marshall explained. “When we spoke about the student population, especially on certain days, it came out that one of the contributing factors to low turnout was a breakfast situation, where some children were not getting breakfast.”

The matter was taken to the chapter’s executive, which agreed to support the school by sponsoring an additional day of breakfast beyond what is already provided through government assistance.

“We all bought into the idea as an executive body, reached out for sponsorship and decided to move forward with the programme,” Marshall said.

According to Principal Annette Steele, the impact was felt almost immediately.

“We started in November, just after the hurricane, and it has really impacted attendance,” Steele said. “Previously, we had children coming late or not coming at all because they hadn’t eaten. Now they can come by 7:30 a.m. and get a hot meal, and that has really boosted our midweek attendance.”

She explained that breakfast typically includes items such as fried dumplings, sausage and a hot beverage, which students now look forward to each week.

“We realised that sometimes we underestimate who is really in need,” Ms Steele added. “Even some children we thought were having breakfast actually weren’t. The programme has been tremendous, and we are very grateful to the JN Circle, Mrs Dennis and the team.”

Secretary of the JN Circle Linstead Chapter, Kareen Dennis, said the programme was made possible through modest but consistent support, despite the chapter’s small membership.

“When we saw the budget, we realised it didn’t take much to make a difference,” Mrs Dennis said. “By topping up items like flour, Milo and oil, the school could sustain an extra day of breakfast.”

Mrs Dennis noted that students often express excitement when volunteers visit and are eager to help, a response she says reinforces the importance of the initiative.

“When children are hungry, they can’t focus on learning,” she said. “Seeing their joy, their respect and their enthusiasm really motivates us to continue.”

Victoria Primary School, which serves approximately 250 students from Grades One to Six, has been part of the community since 1935 and continues to produce strong academic and cultural outcomes, despite its rural setting.

The JN Circle Linstead Chapter, which has about 10 active members, hopes to sustain the programme and eventually expand similar support to other schools within its catchment area.

“We’re really happy that we’re able to partner with one of our schools,” Mr Marshall said. “The Linstead Chapter is proud to be impacting the community it serves and reaching our nation’s children.”

The JN Foundation has continued its tradition of giving, reaffirming its commitment to Mustard Seed Communities through its Comfort for Christmas initiative. From essential food items to diapers for daily care, find out how this year’s donation is supporting residents at Jacob’s Ladder in St Ann and bringing hope during the holiday season. 

For the fourth consecutive year, the JN Foundation has reaffirmed its commitment to Mustard Seed Communities, spreading holiday cheer and delivering much-needed practical support through its annual Comfort for Christmas initiative. 

This year’s donation, delivered to the Mustard Seed-managed facility at Jacob’s Ladder in St Ann, included diapers and food items to support the daily care and nutritional needs of residents, many of whom are chronically ill, physically challenged or without family support. 

According to Candice Nichols, social impact assessment officer at the JN Foundation, the initiative underscores the Foundation’s sustained commitment to supporting the welfare of children.   

“This really came from a place of acknowledging the need to support our vulnerable communities across the island,” Ms Nichols said. “Mustard Seed is a very established organisation with 11 apostolates islandwide, and while they manage their operations very well, the need is always significant.” 

She explained that residents at Mustard Seed range from newborns to the elderly and include persons who are fully or partially dependent on medical and nutritional care. 

“We wanted to continue with our donation of diapers, but we also extended the range of donations to include food items based on the request from the administrator at the home,” Ms Nichols noted. 

Assistant mission manager at Mustard Seed Communities at Jacob’s Ladder, Reanna Simpson, said the donation would have an immediate and meaningful impact on residents, particularly those with special dietary and medical needs. 

“The food items are especially important because many of our residents have multiple disabilities and specific nutritional requirements,” Ms Simpson said. “Having items tailored for conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure makes a real difference in how we care for them, and it also eases the financial burden of purchasing food and essential supplies.” 

Ms Nichols pointed out that the initiative aligns directly with the Foundation’s broader mission of supporting vulnerable children and adults, a focus it has maintained for decades. 

“Mustard Seed is home to residents of all ages, and they are all vulnerable,” she said. “Supporting them made perfect sense for us, and it’s not something we are hoping to abandon anytime soon.” 

She added that the impact of Hurricane Melissa heightened the urgency of continued support, as donations to Mustard Seed slowed while national relief efforts were concentrated in other hard-hit areas. 

“With the passage of Hurricane Melissa, there was an increased need for support,” Ms Nichols explained. “Even if we weren’t able to do as much as we would want to, we could not turn our backs on them this Christmas.” 

Miss Simpson echoed the importance of sustained support beyond the holiday season, noting that Mustard Seed provides a permanent home for persons who are often abandoned or forgotten. 

“This is a community that cares for persons who have no one,” she said. “What we offer here is dignity, care and a second chance at life, and support from organisations like the JN Foundation helps us ensure that no one who comes here is ever abandoned again.” 

Miss Simpson encouraged members of the public to support institution. 

“It does not necessarily take much,” she said. “If you can’t give financially, you can volunteer your time or help identify a need. What matters is the willingness to give.” 

Jacob’s Ladder, which is home to 155 residents, sustained minor damage from Hurricane Mellisa, but its greenhouses, which are used to grow the institution’s vegetables and ground provisions, were damaged, and as such, they have to purchase these items.  

The Comfort for Christmas initiative continues to be a cornerstone of the JN Foundation’s outreach efforts, providing not only seasonal cheer but meaningful, year-round support to institutions serving Jamaica’s most vulnerable populations. The initiative is funded by members of staff of The Jamaica National Group. 

Strengthening early childhood education in Latin America and the Caribbean will require better financing, stronger data systems and more inclusive services, experts addressing a recent panel discussion on early childhood development in the region have said.

The panel of experts, which included specialists in global financing and early childhood education, were speaking at a recent colloquium organised by the JN Foundation and The University of the West Indies (UWI) School of Education in partnership with the Dudley Grant Early Childhood Resource Centre.

Dr Emre Ozaltin, lead economist for the Caribbean at the World Bank, noted that sustainable support for early childhood development (ECD) will require a diversified financing approach. He called for long-term financing strategies that foster coordinated support from development partners and the private sector to ensure continuity and effective services, even in the face of disasters.

“A diversified approach to funding in this area may be best – a combination of public budgets, targeted subsidies and innovative financing mechanisms, such as public private partnerships and targeted taxes,” he said. “Sustainable ECD financing is not a one-size-fits-all. Approaches tailored to social, political and economic realities, and critically, the flexibility to be able to respond quickly when disasters do strike are needed.”

He also underscored the need to invest in robust data systems, “to be able to observe the actionable information to improve the [existing] systems that we have.”

Professor Zoyah Kinkead-Clark, professor of early childhood care and education at the UWI School of Education, also emphasised the need for greater monitoring and evaluation in the sector to ensure programmes and actions are effective. Using the recent passage of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica as an example, she also said by integrating evaluation with comprehensive support services, stakeholders can better meet the needs of children affected by crises to, among other things, ensure equity and continuity of care.

“We really need to be using that monitoring and evaluation to make the key decisions that are needed to guide the sector. We understand that many young children and their families are vulnerable, especially now, and this highlights the need to provide the kind of support they require. As a region, perhaps we can start thinking about ‘wrap-around services’ for our children and their families,” she said.

Adding to the conversation, Dr. Rebecca Tortello, education specialist at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), also highlighted the need for improved learning environments, including more sensory based spaces and programmes in early childhood institutions (ECIs), to support children’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development.

“It’s important that we find ways to replicate more of those spaces, following a model created by UNICEF with the Rockhouse Foundation at Savanna-la-Mar Infant Academy- one of the schools badly damaged by Hurricane Melissa. That model included clinical support through a partnership with the Ministry of Health and Wellness,” she said.

“You heard the Minister [of Education] speak about a research screening centre [to come] in Portland to complement the one that exists at Mico [University College]. We had about eight of the sensory or clinical spaces before the hurricane and we need more such support at the early childhood level to enable the necessary follow up along the National Early Screening Pathway, which starts with the Child Health Development Passport and moves through multiple assessments, including the Jamaica School Readiness Assessment developed by UNICEF and the UWI Department of Child Health and administered by the Early Childhood Commission (ECC). These sensory spaces, if strategically placed around the island, can be a possible way to bridge a key gap in the pathway,” she added.

Dr. Tortello said the way forward should also include improved infrastructure at ECIs, such as ramps and accessible toilets, to make facilities more inclusive. As she handed over the Pathway document, she also emphasised the need to expand access to teaching resources, including accessible digital textbooks (ADTs) now available on UNICEF’s Learning Passport Jamaica website at jamaicalearningpassport.org, as well as professional development programmes like the UNICEF-developed Inclusive Early Childhood Education course offered by the ECC and the Jamaica Teaching Council annually.

Dr Tracy-Ann Morgan-Smith, senior director of regulations and monitoring at the ECC, noted that along with ensuring that services are fully inclusive to accommodate children with disabilities and other special needs, improving the early childhood sector, particularly for Jamaica, will also mean reviewing legislation, implementing teacher licencing and enhancing disaster mitigation measures.

“We’re looking at putting in the legislation for system strengthening [to cater to] the whole aspect of the licencing and mandatory areas for teachers to do their professional development. Areas like toxic stress and the trauma children deal with after a disaster. That is critical. We also have to look at our climate resilience, how we now respond to education in emergency situations,” she said.

She noted that with the recent passage of Jamaica’s Data Protection Act and the evolving digital age, attention will also turn to how the early childhood legislation can protect children and others whose data is collected and used.

The two-day JN Foundation and UWI School of Education Dudley Grant Early Childhood Resource Centre Colloquium was held from November 27-28 at the UWI Regional Headquarters, under the theme: Let’s shape tomorrow, together. It brought together educators, policymakers and sector leaders to examine the state of early childhood education in the region and chart the way forward.

Photo Caption: Parris Lyew-Ayee (second left), Chairman, JN Foundation exchanges pleasantries with Dr. Tiou Clarke (left), lecturer at the University of Technology, Jamaica; Dr Ricardo Anderson (centre), lecturer in the Department of Computing, The University of the West Indies; Dr Dawn DiPeri (second right), interdisciplinary design leader and faculty trainer, and, Ava Marie Reid, curriculum development specialist. All were present at  a panel discussion at the recent colloquium on early childhood education hosted by the JN Foundation and the UWI School of Education’s Dudley Grant Early Childhood Resource Centre. The session, titled Opportunity or Distraction: Technology and Early Childhood Education, explored the role of AI in shaping the future of learning.

Educators with knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) are urging their colleagues at the early childhood level to move past scepticism and embrace the technology as part of modern teaching methods. While advocating for its integration, they cautioned that young children should not have direct access to AI tools, emphasising the importance of developing their own analytical and critical thinking skills first.

The call came during a panel discussion at the recent colloquium on early childhood education hosted by the JN Foundation and the UWI School of Education’s Dudley Grant Early Childhood Resource Centre. The session, titled Opportunity or Distraction: Technology and Early Childhood Education, explored the role of AI in shaping the future of learning.

Dr Ricardo Anderson, lecturer in the Department of Computing, reminded the audience that AI is no longer a futuristic concept, but a technology embedded in everyday life.

“AI has become ubiquitous. Almost every device we use today, every digital piece of equipment, has artificial intelligence built in,” he explained. “What we need to do is ensure those tools are appropriate for the skills we want to develop. For example, if we’re focusing on motor skills, the devices we provide must align with those objectives. Many of these devices already use AI to enhance development and provide support mechanisms for teachers and students.”

While acknowledging that some AI applications may not be suitable for very young learners, Anderson warned against resisting progress.

“We cannot afford to have a generation that isn’t literate in using appropriate technologies,” he said. “Imagine if we had rejected calculators because we feared them. Technology changes how we do things, we must remain inclusive and ensure these skills are taught.”

Dr Taio Clarke, lecturer at the University of Technology, Jamaica, highlighted that scepticism often stems from limited exposure.

“Some of my colleagues still think AI is bad,” Clarke noted. “But I ask them, ‘Have you really interacted with it? Have you attended forums or explored what’s available before passing judgment?’ Let’s not rely on TikTok opinions; let’s engage with the technology ourselves.”

Dr Clarke also stressed that technology in early childhood education should complement holistic learning philosophies.

“Technology should follow the child as they grow, not the other way around,” he said, while advocating for play-based environments where teachers moderate sessions that balance free play, guided play, and hands-on activities.

Dr Dawn DiPeri, a New York-based interdisciplinary design leader and faculty trainer, echoed the need for caution with young learners.

“AI should not be directly for young children, they shouldn’t be interacting with AI tools at that age,” she said. Instead, she recommended using AI to assist teachers, particularly in content creation.

“In my school district, only tools that meet strict data security standards, known as ‘2D compliance’ are allowed,” DiPeri explained. “For policy, I suggest creating a clear list of approved tools. And when educators ask me to teach them AI, I start with pedagogy. I ask, ‘What problem are you trying to solve?’ Sometimes technology isn’t even the answer. Identify the pain points first, then find the right solution.”

As Jamaica begins the road to recovery from the emotional, economic and infrastructural fallout caused by Hurricane Melissa, two education psychologists are calling for an urgent overhaul of Jamaica’s education system, starting at the early childhood level. They say the revamp will strengthen resilience and better prepare children and other stakeholders in the face of rising disasters.

Delivering the first of two keynote addresses on the opening day of the JN Foundation and The University of the West Indies (UWI) School of Education Dudley Grant Early Childhood Resource Centre Colloquium on the topic, Nurturing Well-Being and Building Resilience, the specialists, Professor Loraine Cookand Dr Sharline Cole, from the School of Education at UWI Mona, argued that Jamaica must reshape how it educates and protects children and their educators, both during crises and in the classroom before and after events.

They noted that as the country remains vulnerable to climate-driven disasters, children should be empowered as “agents of protection in disasters”. They called on authors to write textbooks and storybooks featuring disaster-management techniques so children can process risk and prepare through familiar characters and culturally relevant storytelling. “Present it so that children from as early as three can start understanding what vulnerabilities they will face in society,” said Professor Loraine Cook.

The education psychologists also stressed the need to continue improving school infrastructure across the country to be hurricane resilient, as many remain vulnerable to high-impact weather systems. They also pushed for a stronger national remote learning strategy, built on both online and offline methods to ensure continuity of education when schools are damaged or inaccessible. Citing an effective model from another disaster-prone country, Belize, Professor Cook said, “they utilise transistor radios to bring learning into the homes and I think that’s fantastic. It is so flexible, you don’t just rely on the internet.”

The Cuban Model

Beyond that, the psychologists urged education stakeholders in Jamaica to adopt international best practices that teach young children practical disaster preparedness skills. Using Cuba as a case study, Dr Cook shared how early childhood schools integrate a “culture of prevention” into their curriculum, preparing children for disasters. Using age-appropriate activities like drills, storytelling and themed games, the schools teach young children to recognise risks and react to emergencies with calmness and safety. She added that in primary schools, students from grades one to six also study their natural surroundings and learn about the environment through daily observation.

“The goal is for children to become agents of change by applying and sharing what they learn both within their families and across their communities,” Professor Cook shared.

Dr Sharline Cole added that in the redesign of the education system, children must be encouraged to express and validate their emotions as part of disaster recovery.

“Children have a say, and we should provide them with an opportunity to say what they feel and understand their emotions. Let them share exactly what is happening to them because if they don’t, it’s going to create problems later on. We have to listen to what they have to say and help them to talk about it,” she said.

The psychologists also highlighted that the call for transformation extends beyond students. While noting that teachers possess some psychosocial competencies, they highlighted that the concurrent demand of delivering curriculum content and addressing students’ traumatic experiences also present a significant challenge for educators. To ease this burden, they recommended that the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information partner with universities and counsellor-training institutions to implement a structured national internship programme. Under the proposal, mental health trainees would work alongside classroom teachers to provide socio-emotional support during instructions, helping to stabilise the classroom environment and improve academic performance.

Adaptive Education System Needed

While underscoring the importance of supporting educators’ well-being, the specialists also called for a more adaptive education system, one capable of shifting quickly during emergencies and informed by data.

On the point of data, they urged the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) to collect and report on data relating to the effectiveness of the existing Guidelines for Child-Friendly Disaster Management and Response, to assist in policies reflecting the realities children face before, during and after disasters.

“Despite having the guidelines, the Government faces challenges in implementing child protection in emergencies as a central focus of their operations,” Dr. Cole said, citing a 2019 statement from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA).

“We have the guidelines [but] are we putting them into action and does it end there?” she questioned. “We need the data to guide our practice, to make the appropriate implementation or to make decisions. If we don’t have that data, it’s difficult for us to make informed decisions, be able to plan and ensure we have a resilient society,” she concluded.

The two-day colloquium was held from November 27-28 at the UWI Regional Headquarters, under the theme: Let’s shape tomorrow, together. It brought together educators, policymakers and sector leaders to examine the state of early childhood education in the region and to chart the way forward.