Keitha-Gail Martin-Kerr, an associate teaching professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, recently co-led a fully funded week-long Jamaican Exchange in Teaching program (JET) immersion experience. In February, four teachers from Highland Elementary School in Columbia Heights were immersed in Jamaican schools, culture, and community. The teachers visited Liberty Hill Infant School, Brown’s Town Model Infant School, and Lime Tree Gardens School in the parish of St. Ann, Jamaica. Martin-Kerr visited three primary schools in the parish of Trelawny to forge partnerships for the next school year.

The JET program is designed to build a sustainable partnership with the Ministry of Education in Jamaica. Last year, teachers from Jamaica visited the University of Minnesota campus and five metro schools.