MONA CAMPUS REPORT
A Special UWI 75th Lecture with Prof. Paul Reese: Harvesting a Selection of the Fruits of Nature
Social Accountability, Outreach, and Community Engagement
central ‘resource centre’ for laboratory activities and educational tours. STEM Teaching : The Building Out Our STEM Teachers (BOOST) programme, established in 2021, was designed to address the persistent gap caused by the annual migration of STEM educators in Jamaica by cultivating a steady supply of high-calibre STEM teachers. Since its inception, BOOST has successfully recruited 34 Teacher Fellows, with 28 currently active, across 23 different schools spanning eight parishes. Notably, the programme has achieved an impressive retention rate of 80% for Cohort 1, with 12 out of 15 teachers choosing to remain in the classroom for a second year. BOOST’s impact is significant, directly influencing 5,307 students to date. This initiative is sustained through ongoing support of nine strategic partnerships drawn from the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. STEM Teaching Competencies : In an era of rapid technological advancement, educators must also be at the forefront of digital transformation by utilizing available ICT tools to enhance (not replace) their pedagogical practices. To this end, The UWI, Mona, in collaboration with E-Learning Jamaica Company Limited, successfully conducted an Artificial Intelligence (AI) workshop for secondary school teachers entitled, “Artificial Intelligence: An Orientation and Exploration of its Classroom Applications” .The workshop, jointly hosted by the FST and the Faculty of Humanities and Education, welcomed an enthusiastic cohort of approximately 40 teachers eager to explore the potential of integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) in their classrooms. School Engagement : In collaboration with the Campus’ Marketing and Communications Department, FST visited over 20 secondary intuitions across Jamaica. Engaging Yam Farmers: A programme to reach yam farmers was initiated by the Biotechnology Centre in
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• A Seminar in honour of Professor emeritus Kenneth Eugene Magnus: The Legacy of Prof. Kenneth Magnus: Transforming Lives, Institutions and the Economy.
The Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) continued its outreach initiatives to engage our stakeholders — showing the value of science and technology for society — while showcasing research and teaching capacities existing within the Faculty. Showcasing Science : The FST hosted a Science Festival as part of the 75 th Anniversary celebrations of The University of the West Indies. The festival showcased science and technology in business, government, security, health and wellness, environment, and education as well as products and services developed through science and technology. It also provided a space for the public to engage with science and technology in interactive, informative, and innovative ways. Over 3,000 persons passed through the two-day festival. Other key UWI 75 th activities outreach activities hosted were the Science Discourse: The Professor Speaks, Science for Today series and departmental seminars which continued to encourage discourse on the science aspects of topical issues while showcasing current research and researchers. In 2022/2023, the departments and their collaborators hosted the weekly Biotechnology, Chemistry, Life Sciences and Mathematics Seminar Series, Disaster Heritage: Can Memorialising Disaster Make People More Resilient? – A Discussion Forum, A Symposium on Global Security Perceptive, Synchrotron Light: Energizing Modern Advanced Economies in Caribbean Islands Symposium • Let the Research Speaks for Itself Part 1 – an international collaboration with a consortium of universities • Inaugural Lecture for Professor Tannecia Stephenson
ChatGPT and Education: Threat or Opportunity – a public lecture?
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STEM Building in High Schools: The Department of Mathematics continued its successful annual Jamaican Mathematical Olympiad program. The 2022–2023 edition saw the participation of 2,800 students from 92 schools and a return to a face-to-face experience. Similarly, the Faculty returned to face-to-face modality for its annual CAPE workshops in chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, geography, and computer science. These workshops remain a valuable resource with over 1,500 high school students from more than 30 schools across Jamaica participating in the January 2023 edition. In collaboration with Addiscoders Inc, the CHOR Foundation, and members of the diaspora, the Department of Computing hosted the second edition of the JamCoders free residential Summer Camp. This unique programme exposed 50 secondary students from Jamaica to a comprehensive four-week journey into coding and algorithms during the summer of 2023. The programme’s success was greatly enhanced by collaboration with 12 partner organizations. Additionally, the Faculty coordinated a Summer Internship programme in conjunction with the Bethel Baptist Church, placing eight secondary students in various departments and the Health Centre to provide them with valuable on-the-job experience. The Faculty also continues to play a significant role in engaging numerous secondary institutions, while serving as a
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