KINGSTON, Jamaica – Since its inception in 2003, Genesis Academy has been empowering and providing opportunities to students with various disabilities and learning challenges through skills development and education.

A high point for the institution came last year when, for the first time ever, its students sat the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations. The results were very positive, so much so that another batch of students will sit the City & Guilds English exam this year, also a first for the academy.

“We have also done CSEC English, where two out of three of our students passed. HEART/NSTA Trust graduation has just gone last December, and our students were invited and they got awarded also,” Genesis Academy’s principal, Stacey-Ann Newman, said proudly.

“Based on the nature of our students, we are starting with English … we contemplated doing both English and Mathematics, but because this is new, we did English alone,” Newman told OBSERVER ONLINE.

Genesis Academy is a privately-run Christian institution which started almost two decades ago in the living room of founder and director Pauline Beaumont, who felt a calling to set up a first-class high school for students with learning challenges.

The institution caters to students with varied disabilities such as inter alia, autism, slow learners, Down ’s syndrome, global development delay and cerebral palsy. In addition to their diagnoses, some students may have physical challenges, attention deficit disorder, dyslexia, neurological disorders, and behavioural problems.

Still, Newman expressed that it is important to expose them to vocational training skills and work experience.

“Our approach as it relates to our curriculum is eclectic because we incorporate the Ministry of Education’s and the Accelerated Christian Curriculum. As it relates to our programme, we have collaborated with the HEART/NSTA Trust, so our students have two skills because our school is also based on skills,” Newman said. “Last year, actually, our students did data operations and five out of the six students passed and they would’ve done food prep last year, but we just got the results and all our students passed.

“We have a work experience programme, in which one of our past students just came back and made us a part of the NCB Make a Wish Foundation. So, we just received a cheque from one of our past students, who has been here and is abroad now and wanted to give back,” she added.

In addition, students also sew items such as cushions and partake in jewellery making and barbering. Genesis Academy also has a growing athletics programme, which provides the opportunity for students to participate in sports activities at school as well as in the Special Olympics.