St. James Students Taught Practical Ways to Contribute to Parish’s Development

Students from schools in St. James were taught practical ways to contribute to their parish’s development, during a rap session led by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), at Harmony Beach Park in Montego Bay, on Friday, October 11.

The event, held to commemorate World Architecture Day on Monday, October 7, under the theme: ‘Empowering the Next Generation to Participate in Urban Design’, provided an interactive platform for students to explore how they can shape the future of their communities.

The session, dubbed ‘Building a Better City for You and Me’, saw the participation of Montego Bay High School for Girls, Irwin High, Mount Alvernia High, Herbert Morrison Technical High, Cornwall College, Spot Valley High, and Glendevon Primary School.

Students were encouraged to consider sustainable solutions in their everyday lives to contribute to the long-term growth and development of St. James.

Student at the Montego Bay High School for Girls, Cheyenne Blake, emphasised the need for the public to adopt a more proactive approach to the issue of sustainability.

“As citizens we need to educate ourselves on this matter and involve ourselves to ensure that the future generation does have something to hold on to [instead] of a concrete jungle,” she emphasised.

Herbert Morrison student, Chrissique Calvin, said her key takeaway is the significance of living sustainably by harnessing natural resources.

She added that by “incorporating more green spaces, similar to Harmony Beach Park”, they serve as natural filters, effectively absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

For Irwin High student, Navon Headley, the session was particularly impactful, as the UDC team helped students gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be part of the future generation.

“They opened our eyes to the fact that we are the future generation and a lot of things that we have learned [here] we will have to implement in our futures,” she said.