The GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sport will present an inaugural symposium entitled “Preserving and Celebrating Jamaica’s Sport Heritage: Challenges and Opportunities” today and tomorrow at the campus in Spanish Town.

The two-day event will also feature the official opening of the Museum of Sport and Recreation where former Prime Minister, PJ Patterson, will be the guest speaker.

Patterson will speak today at 2:30 pm, while on day two a number of scholars and educators will present papers relevant to the growth and development of the sport sector.

Some of the topics that will be addressed are “Jamaica’s Sport: Opportunities for Development and Leadership” by Ventley Brown; “Unlocking the Potential of Sport and Recreation For Wellness — Marcia Swyer Forbes’; “Striking a Balance: Academic Performance vs Athletic Scholarship — Paul Beckford; “A History of the GC Foster College and the Lessons Learnt — Roderick Eubanks; “Enhancing the Economics of Sport in Jamaica” — Delano Franklyn; “Branding Jamaica Through Sport – The Prospects for Economic Transformation (Growth & Investment)” — Carole Beckford; “Reflecting on the Past, Framing the Future: The Role of the Jamaica Intercollegiate Sports Association in National Sports Development — Dalton S Myers; “Unlocking the Secret to Jamaica’s Sprint Success” — Maurice Wilson.

Special guest presenter for day two will be Dr Hume Johnson, assistant professor Media, Public Relations and Journalism at Roger Williams University, Rhode Island, USA.

Dr Johnson is a trained political science expert and was recently in Austria where she presented on Branding Jamaica Through Sport – Potential for Social Transformation.

The GC Foster symposium aims to target other sport scholars, educators, marketers and technical officials. The GC Foster recently hosted a successful two-week camp for a 14-member delegation from Australia in the discipline of track and field.