JDTAN announces education workshop and gala in June

The summit is the network's flagship event that will host 100 educators arriving from Jamaica to attend various workshops, panel discussions, and presentations geared at building capacity for Jamaica.  Under the theme, ‘Advancing our Passion for Teaching and Learning: Rediscovering our Why,’ the education summit runs June 13-16, 2023, and will culminate this year for the first time with JDTAN's inaugural Education Charity Gala on Diaspora Day, June 16th. 

The major partners and sponsors participating in Summit23 are the Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA), Jamaica National Group, Florida Atlantic University (FAU), the Union of Jamaican Alumni Associations, and JDTAN.  The patron for the week's events is Her Excellency Audrey Marks, Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative of the Organization of American States.

“JDTAN is happy to announce further that teachers from other Caribbean islands will join the summit, a new and essential of the week’s activities, courtesy of the JTA,” said its chairman Leo Gilling.  

The chairperson for the staging of the 8th Advancements in Education Summit (Summit23), Dr. Sherika Dacres remarked that JDTAN continues to provide access and opportunities for those in the education sector to grow and thrive in their craft.

“In this eighth education summit, the mission of JDTAN in supporting educators has not changed but instead has evolved to meet the changing needs of educators. Using a collaborative approach to engage and mobilize the Jamaican Diaspora,” said Dacres. “We aim to build capacity by identifying needs and delivering best practices to enhance pedagogy among Jamaican educators and other individuals within the education sphere.”

Earl Jarrett, chief executive officer (CEO) of The Jamaica National Group, added: “One of the strongest measures of development for a nation is its education system and citizens' access to education. The Jamaica Diaspora Taskforce Action Network (JDTAN) is a successful vehicle in the public-private sector partnership dedicated to improving the education system in Jamaica through enrichment and programs that improve the quality of knowledge transfer between educators and students. The Jamaica National Group is pleased to support this 8th JDTAN Advancement in Education Summit because we recognize the crucial role that like-minded organizations, such as JDTAN, play as a partner in improving Jamaica's educational system.”

This year's patron for the Education Summit is Her Excellency Audrey Marks, Ambassador of Jamaica to Washington, D.C., and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States stated that “the diaspora is a reservoir of resources that has continued to enhance the development of Jamaica, in particular, our educational institutions, programmes, and policies”.

“The focus is frequently on our young people, but the Jamaica Diaspora Taskforce Education Summit takes an unconventional approach by spotlighting our unsung heroes, our educators. With the Diaspora’s support, our teachers receive our admiration and transformational tools to prepare our young people to thrive and build a prosperous Jamaica. "

The president of the Union of Jamaican Alumni Association (UJAA),  Donovan Wilson, stated that the “UJAA has been a part of the Education Summit series since it started over eight years ago. As we prepare for the eighth staging in Miramar, Florida, following the successful event in New York in 2022, we look forward to another successful series of workshops and discussions. UJAA's commitment to education remains strong, and we salute the JDTAN team for putting together this year's conference”.

Gilling explained that the involvement of partners, sponsors, and hosts in making this 8th Annual Education Summit possible is a testament to the importance of education in the future of Jamaica.

“The efforts and the voluntary gifts of capacity development from Diaspora professionals and friends of Jamaica are a reminder of the passion and love that individuals who departed the island have for their home country. The JDTAN is therefore committed to assisting in teachers' development in Jamaica; they are committed, hardworking, and love their students; The Advancement in Education Summit provides the tools and interventions to fill gaps and advance teaching and learning,” Gilling said. 

Tickets for the gala are $100 per person and can be purchased here: https://forms.gle/ztobszLoKTi2B8Ya6.