Teach the Youth Summer Programme Continues to Create Social Change

The University of Technology (UTech) Jamaica Students’ Union Council’s flagship Teach The Youth Summer Programme, run by student volunteers, continues to create social change in communities surrounding the institution’s Papine campus.

The programme began in 1999 as an initiative of a group of student leaders targeting the communities of Highlight View, Tavern, August Town. Kintyre, Hermitage and Sandy Park.

It opened this year on July 6 and ran until July 24, with the goal of providing students with opportunities for educational growth and holistic development.

The three-week programme provided a daily meal for all students; a safe space to express themselves; opportunities to learn about their culture and heritage through a dedicated Culture Day featuring their performances; and exposure to teamwork and discipline through a culminating Sports Day.

This holistic approach, committed to addressing social change through proactive measures, is strategically aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Quality Education (SDG 4) and Zero Hunger (SDG 2).

Now, more than two decades later, it has grown into an annual youth-development and community-outreach programme, benefiting hundreds of young people, while creating generations of student volunteers committed to giving back.

At the heart of that legacy is one man who understands both sides of the story –the student who started it and the university president watching it continue today – Dr. Kevin Brown.

At last year’s launch, Dr. Brown reminisced on the Programme he started as a former Students’ Union President and commended its evolution.

He told JIS News that he was “delighted to see that over 25 years later, Teach the Youth [still] lives” and that it “not only continues to provide wonderful experiences to young people within the communities served but it is now an award-winning programme”.

The Programme received the National Prime Minister’s Youth Award for Excellence in the Youth Development Category in 2025, in recognition of its impact on communities.

Now in 2026, the Programme has expanded beyond its original focus on remedial education, to provide a more holistic experience for participants, incorporating academic support, leadership development, financial literacy, technology, sports, arts and culture, among other areas, into the curriculum.

Its success is carried forward by a new generation of student leaders each summer.

For these volunteers, Teach the Youth is more than an item on the Students’ Union calendar. It is an opportunity to lead the next generation through active service.

Speaking with JIS News, President of the Students’ Union Council, Joel Brown, endorsed the Programme’s founding principles and shared the accomplishments of the 2026 staging.

“Going into the Teach The Youth Programme this year, our main goal was to build on the work that has been done,” he said.

“I think one of our biggest accomplishments this year was the level of support we were able to bring together. We had our council, volunteers, community members, JIS and several external partners working together to make the Programme happen,” Mr. Brown continued.

For him, the greatest lesson was that “something like Teach the Youth really takes a collective effort”.

His plan going into the next staging is to simply build on the already established framework.

“Going into the next staging we definitely want to build on what we worked on this year and improve the areas where we had challenges,” Mr. Brown said.

“We want to start our planning even earlier and strengthen the educational and mentorship aspects of the Programme, bring even more partners, ultimately making Teach The Youth bigger and better, while ensuring that the impact on the children remains at the centre of everything we do,” he added.

For their part, Vice President of Student Services in the Union, Rajay Tomlinson, and School of Business Administration Student Representative, Simonique Brown, shared their reasons for volunteering and how the Programme has shaped them.

“It is an opportunity to give back to students who are in volatile communities,” Mr. Tomlinson said.

For him, the intended message is clear. “I hope that the students [learn from]… the energy, the time, the love, the passion that we have for this Programme for almost 27 years [and]… as much as how we are pouring into them, I hope when they grow into young adults they can go back into these communities,” he said.

For Mr. Tomlinson, volunteering included planning the teaching programmes, including the pre- and post-assessments for students, and assigning volunteers to the various community centres.

Mr. Tomlinson said he believes above all, that community service has shaped his outlook on leadership.

“Stepping up to the plate when nobody calls you to do so is what true leadership is about, giving back when no one asks you to do so,” he argued.

For her part, Simonique Brown, who oversaw the Tavern Community Centre for the Programme’s duration, shared her transformative experience.

“I would have volunteered because I could not ignore the realties in communities like Tavern… . The experience taught me patience, accountability and how to work with persons of different background and needs,” she told JIS News.

“It would have shown me that leadership is about creating opportunities for others to grow. More than anything it would have reinforced my belief that with the support, every child can grow and succeed in everything that they do… . For me, volunteering was a way to give back, to use the advantages I had and to share them with others,” Ms. Brown said.

The volunteers were assigned as Centre Managers to man the day-to-day operations in the Highlight View and Tavern Communities, respectively.

Other Centre Managers, teachers, and volunteers were assigned to the remaining communities.

From giving of their time, planning lessons, coordinating programmes, engaging community members, managing activities and responding to the needs of hundreds of children, these student leaders have, and continue to pave the way for positive social impact.