Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), led by President Dr. Anthony E. Munroe, strengthened its educational and community partnerships in Jamaica during the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, advancing new initiatives focused on education, healthcare, service learning, and student development.
President Munroe participated in a high-level plenary session on “Building a Resilient Education System in Partnership with the Diaspora,” alongside Jamaica’s Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Dana Morris Dixon, education leaders from Jamaica, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The discussion explored how innovation, international collaboration, and diaspora partnerships can strengthen educational systems and prepare students for a rapidly changing global workforce.
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A major outcome of the conference was the signing of a Letter of Intent between BMCC and Jamaica’s National Education Trust (NET) under the Adopt-A-School Programme. The agreement commits BMCC to adopting two Jamaican primary schools and supporting a special education programme through improvements to school infrastructure, expanded learning resources, and teaching initiatives designed to enhance student achievement. The parties intend to formalize the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding within three months.
“We firmly believe in the transformative, life-changing power of education for all,” Dr. Munroe said. “This is just the beginning.”
The conference also provided opportunities for BMCC nursing students to gain international clinical experience. Accompanied by college administrators and faculty, students toured the Morant Bay Health Centre and the Windward Road Health Clinic, where they observed Jamaica’s healthcare system and participated in supervised learning experiences with local healthcare professionals. The visits also explored opportunities for future collaboration between BMCC and Jamaica’s health sector.
Community service was another key component of BMCC’s participation. Students, faculty, and staff volunteered at Westwood High School, where they refreshed classrooms, organized textbooks, labeled mattresses, donated laptop computers, and provided blood pressure screenings for members of the school community.
The latest initiatives build on BMCC’s expanding relationship with Jamaica. In recent years, the college has established partnerships with the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean and the Alpha School of Music, creating opportunities for student exchanges, faculty collaboration, research, cultural engagement, and academic development.
