Use Sport as a vehicle for social change for Underserved Children in Rural Jamaica

What is work without a little play? Bring your enthusiasm and energy on this program as you will have the chance to enjoy the beautiful island of Jamaica through sports and service. Stay active with the children in the community, many of whom are naturally athletically gifted. Ability isn’t the core target, however. Rather, the importance lies in producing opportunities for fun and those which build self-esteem, all while creating memories that are sure to last a lifetime.

Program Theme: Sports Leadership / Working With Children & Education

Destination: Manchester, Jamaica

Age Group: 14 – 18

Service Hours: 35

Group Size: 20 Students & 3 Staff

• Impact local children through planning and implementing a sports camp
• Learn about the intersection of sports with both mental and physical health in developing countries
• Help build and develop a sports infrastructure project in a local community
• Tour the legendary Bob Marley Museum & relive the highlights of sports legend, Usain Bolt by dining in his famous restaurant, Tracks & Records
• Join a Dunn's River Falls Adventure, an exhilarating experience that will leave you feeling refreshed and invigorated.
• Connect with underserved youth at a local Children’s Home

Summer vacation is a time of year when many students are very eager for school to end. However, in Jamaica school is critical for providing stimulation, learning, recreational opportunities, and even food that may not be consistently accessible at home.

Students will be addressing some of these challenges in the community by partnering with a local organization. They will help by improving the infrastructure of sports facilities and renovating equipment.

You’ll also work with traditional sports such as soccer and new ones like baseball,  (just to name a few!). You don’t have to be a star athlete to make a difference in the lives of these children. After a day on the field, students will have the opportunity to further their service at a local children’s home. Whatever the project, you are sure to be the cause of lots of smiles as you are helping to bring health and joy to the children and community at large. 

 You will discover how community infrastructure, poverty, and sports all intersect to form health outcomes for the children and families living in the areas in which you will be working. Through guest speakers and training, you will learn how sports are crucial for physical and mental health. Sports are not only good for keeping in shape, but they also help with the values of determination, confidence, and sportsmanship, which have been found to have a positive effect on self-esteem. Students will also be able to channel their energy into working with children at a local Children’s Home.  

You’ll get a chance to travel out of the countryside and into Jamaica’s bustling capital city, Kingston. Tour the legendary Bob Marley Museum. See where he lived and learn more about his life and work. 

Go further and do more on your excursion as you relive the highlights of the career of sports legend, Usain Bolt. Dine at his famous restaurant, Tracks & Records.

Next, go to Dunn’s River Falls and hike up the falls and enjoy the views from the top. An exhilarating experience that will leave you feeling refreshed and invigorated. 

 Your home base is a historical estate set on a 24-acre farm with beautiful mountains serving as its backdrop. The accommodation is located in the village of Walderston, a farming community known for its serenity and beauty. The students will share comfortable, gender-segregated, dorm-style rooms with shared bathrooms. The home base delivers a cozy, “at home feeling” and is newly renovated with many western amenities.