June 23, 2016 – With students and chaperones traveling from DC and Maryland, LearnServe engineered a travel group with a diverse set of experiences to help serve the people of Jamaica and also equip the next generation of future world change agents with invaluable leadership and developmental skills to help people around the globe.
Day 1 of LearnServe Jamaica ’16 has come and gone and what a memorable day it was for us all! We quickly learned a valuable lesson on patience, flexibility and perseverance as all passengers had to endure unexpected and unprecedented flight delays in our journey to Jamaica, even though we were divided into 3 different groups in 3 different cities on 3 different airlines! I was particularly impressed with the Eastern Senior High School students, many of who were traveling on a plane for the first time. Nervous remarks such as “I’m going to die,” and “How long is this flight,” were soon replaced by “I love flying,” and “I’m a pro now!” Students used their idle flight delay time to connect with others that they did not know well before they were united through LearnServe. I enjoyed seeing new friendships forming within the Jamaica cohort. Students took the initiative to make sure they introduced themselves to other students and adults they had never met, and many were eager to begin planning their lessons to teach to primary school students in the coming days. Our students came up with creative projects in the area of sports, the arts, and fashion and beauty.
I am so excited about what other surprises and experiences are in store for our LearnServe Jamaica crew and I’m grateful for the opportunity to experience these moments with a talented group of people who recognize the importance of serving and helping others. It is also gratifying returning to my mother’s homeland for the 5th time, not as a family member, or as a tourist, as I’ve done before, but this time as a servant dedicated to fully immersing in the Jamaican culture and facilitating the development of our younger generation to fulfill their leadership and service potential.
Ivan Douglas, Eastern Senior High School