UTech students’ programme helping youth excel

June 09, 2025
Students answer questions during a Teach the Youth session.
Students answer questions during a Teach the Youth session.
Volunteers, students and UTech participants during a Teach the Youth event.
Volunteers, students and UTech participants during a Teach the Youth event.
Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness (right) poses with (from left) Percival Roberts, president of the UTech Students’ Council, and UTech student Jinel Gordon, at the recent Prime Minister’s Youth Awards.
Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness (right) poses with (from left) Percival Roberts, president of the UTech Students’ Council, and UTech student Jinel Gordon, at the recent Prime Minister’s Youth Awards.
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Students who once struggled with basic reading and mathematics are now topping their classes, thanks to a student-run programme at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech), that's been quietly transforming lives more than two decades.

UTech students have been making a difference in inner-city communities near their Papine campus through a bold initiative called Teach the Youth. Led by the UTech-JA Students' Union Council, the outreach effort offers academic support and mentorship to children between ages six and 18 and it's doing far more than helping with homework. Recently, UTech became the first university in Jamaica to receive the Prime Minister's Youth Award for Nation Building, a nod to the programme's lasting impact. The initiative began back in 1999 under then-Students' Union President Dr Kevin Brown, who is now president of the university. But for those involved, it's the students' stories that matter most.

"I remember one boy who started off scoring 33 per cent in math and English. By the end of the programme, he was getting 88 per cent and 87 per cent," said Jinel Gordon, a third-year pharmacy student who now serves as the president's adviser on the students' union council. She previously managed the centre in Kintyre and said she had to scrap traditional teaching methods early on.

"When I first entered the classrooms, I realised a lot of the students were unsettled," she said. "So I adapted. I included music, games, movement things they were already familiar with."

The initiative is present in communities such as Kintyre, Highlight View, Tavern, Sandy Park, August Town, and Hermitage. It includes summer lessons and a follow-up homework programme during the school year. While academics are the main focus, Gordon explained that the programme also pours into the children's confidence and self-esteem. Last year, they even held a pageant.

"A shy girl from my community entered and ended up being crowned Miss Teach the Youth," she said. "Watching her stand tall and answer questions with confidence made me feel so proud."

"It's an opportunity for young persons in the surrounding communities to boost their academic skills but also experience holistic development in line with the UN sustainable development goals," she continued.

Though the students' union covers most of the costs, the programme also receives support from HEART/NSTA Trust, the education ministry, members of parliament, and private sponsors. Gordon said that while the main lessons happen during the summer, the homework programme resumes in September and continues all school year. This year's staging of Teach the Youth goes from July 3 to 25.

"Last year was mostly online. This year, we're back face-to-face," she said. Before teaching begins, students are assessed and grouped by ability, not just age. Then the team creates its own test papers and curriculum using the education ministry's syllabus as a guide, and works with educators from UTech's Faculty of Education and Liberal Studies to make sure the content is solid.

"We have to adjust for students who are behind. It's not one-size-fits-all," Gordon said.

With just one year left before she graduates, she's already thinking about how she'll stay involved.

"I don't plan to leave this behind. I'll become a sponsor and still go into the classrooms when I can," she said.

Interested volunteers may contact Teach the Youth at utechstudentsunion on Instagram or via email at president@utechstudentsunion.com

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