ACE believes the only way out of poverty is EDUCATION.

Since St. Mary is considered the poorest parish on the island, we felt it was essential to get involved in the public elementary school system. What we discovered was exciting and challenging.

We found qualified teachers who were working in terrible conditions like physically deteriorating classrooms, with limited desks, few supplies, and hardly any financial support. These teachers were showing up every day to do their jobs, despite what most of us would consider less than motivating work conditions.

While we were saddened by the lack of resources, we were very encouraged by the quality and commitment of the teachers. We felt we could help make a difference in our community by improving the schools’ conditions and giving teachers support to in turn help the next generation of Jamaicans.

We thought the best way to take on this challenge was by adopting three primary schools. (That’s what they call elementary schools in Jamaica.) Our schools are: Water Valley Primary, Jackson Primary and Galina Primary (Galina is almost in our back yard.)

We’ve been working with the some of the teachers now for 3 years and the differences are astounding! With the help of our volunteers, we’ve enclosed classrooms so each teacher can teach just her students in a controlled quiet atmosphere. She now has whiteboards and other teaching supplies. We send volunteers over weekly to help tutor the children who are falling behind in their studies. (Most of the 5^th and 6^th graders do not have parents who can help them with their school work as most adults cannot read.) And, we have a U.S. teacher, Julie Simmons, who heads a Teacher to Teacher workshop quarterly to give the Jamaican teachers new ideas for teaching their students. It’s working! 

Come Back to the Classroom

If you can read, write and do double -digit math, we’ve got a great job for you! Come invest in a child and experience his or her reading a paragraph all the way through for the first time, warming your heart with this unforgettable and impacting experience. If you are a professional educator, a retired educator, or someone who has a love for children and patience for tutoring, get in touch with us and come help.

Our goal at ACE is to see all our 6^th graders graduate to a higher level of education. These students represent the future of Jamaica and our neighborhood. As the family and business leaders of the next generation, they can change the face of an impoverished country. We’ve adopted and committed to these students and their schools for 10 years.

But, we can’t do it alone. We need volunteers. Will you help us? If so, please call Wendy Hall, our stateside coordinator and she will set up you and your team to come down and help. It will make a difference in a child’s life…and your own.