Community and Education Projects in Jamaica

What is the Community and Education Volunteering Project in Jamaica all about?

The Project

This program provides an immersive experience of the Jamaican lifestyle whilst giving you the opportunity to get involved in a variety of education and community focused initiatives. You will also have the chance to engage in a daily morning exercise routine, joining the site director in her daily community walking tour and seeing Jamaica before it wakes up. You will sample authentic Jamaican food and experience life like a local.

Community and education volunteering projects offer you an incredibly rewarding experience, as you can contribute towards meaningful and impactful work to help the local community. A drive through many Jamaican communities will show poor roads, dilapidated buildings and peeling walls. The pandemic has affected the local Kingston community; schools have been closed, students are lagging behind and elderly members of the community have become more isolated than ever. These projects are aimed at improving the lives of locals and help break the cycle of poverty in Jamaica.

Role of the Volunteer

Community and education volunteering in Jamaica is a great way to participate in meaningful project work and cultural immersion activities. As a volunteer in Jamaica, you will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities, including the following:

• Children and Education – be a teacher’s assistant and work with subjects in the curriculum. Popular subjects you may be asked to teach include maths, English, drama, arts & crafts, amongst others. Depending on the situation at the time of your placement, you might be required to do some online volunteering as well with Kingston underserved children. You will work with the class teacher to help the students (mostly aged between 3 and 5) with basic subjects or give the children personalized help for those in need. (NOTE-teaching projects are only available during school term time. Please speak with one of our placement advisors for dates and availability).
• Sports coaching – whether you are an avid sports fan or you enjoy playing with children, you will have the opportunity to teach them sports you enjoy and know and help them develop their love for sports.
• Environmental conservation and renovation work– participate in beach cleanups, mural painting and spend your time working outdoor with hands-on environmental or construction volunteering projects.
• Soup kitchen volunteering and elderly care-spend time volunteering at a soup kitchen, serving food to and speaking with members of the elderly community. In addition to food preparation, volunteers spend time with elderly community members, and create a ‘storybook’ for them, filled with their life experiences. Volunteers ask them about their most special memories, and record them in a simple book. This book is then gifted to the participant’s family, as the ‘Life Story’ of their loved one.
• Cultural immersive activities including:
  • Jamaican Dance Class – Learn cultural dance moves and popular dances like “Lebeh Lebeh”, “Genna Bounce”, “Lowi mi nuh” and “Good things Dem”
  • Jamaican Cooking Class – Uncover local cooking secrets and learn the secret spices used for generations by a local Jamaican chef.
  • Jamaican Culture and History Class – Learn everything there is to be known about Jamaica, its history, its traditions, and its people.
  • Jamaican Night – Put into practice the moves you learn, dance like a Jamaican, talk like a Jamaican, and eat authentic Jamaican foods with your new peers.

You will also have some downtime and can spend your afternoons relaxing, getting to know your cohort, reading a book, and enjoying the Jamaican sun!

Why choose this project?

• Escape to a tropical paradise to do something different and make a positive contribution to local community projects who need help.
• Immerse yourself in a different culture
• Make new friends and push yourself outside of your comfort zone

What skills do I need to be a Volunteer?

No specific skills are required. Participants should be enthusiastic, creative, flexible and patient to be working with the children. Any skills you can bring with you will be appreciated. 

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