KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Flow Foundation has received support from the Ministry of Education, Youth, Skills and Information for the 2026 launch of their ‘ICT Teacher of the Year’ award.

The partnership has been endorsed by Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon, who hailed the new programme during her address to the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) ICT Week 2025 Conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

“I’m very happy that the Flow Foundation has agreed to work with the Government to establish and start the ICT Teacher of the Year Award. This award is very meaningful, and it is another way for us to say to our education community that ICT is central to us reaching the goals we want, which is for every child to reach their full potential. [The] Government cannot do it alone; we need stronger and deeper partnerships to get meaningful connectivity. We’re committed to leaping the digital divide,” the education minister said.

Flow signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC) to nationally recognise outstanding educators who deploy innovative information and communication technology (ICT) tools to advance student outcomes.

The award was announced earlier this year in celebration of Teachers’ Day and is aimed at recognising and rewarding Jamaica’s top high school educators in ICT. The educators will be assessed based on four ICT categories — innovation, equity and inclusion, resilience and resourcefulness and community engagement.

Now set to commence in 2026 officially, the award will formally recognise 63 outstanding ICT teachers — one from each Quality Education Circle (QEC), after the assessment process. A QEC is a group of early childhood, primary and secondary institutions within a geographical zone.

From those 63 ICT teachers, three national awardees will be selected, including an overall winner who will receive a national trophy, a cash prize, as well as an all-expenses paid trip to the 2026 CANTO Trade and Exhibition Conference slated to take place in the Dominican Republic from August 16-20, 2025. The school from which the overall winner is selected will receive an ICT investment from the Flow Foundation in addition to being recognised as an ICT ambassador.

Rhys Campbell, director of the Flow Foundation, while speaking at the MoU signing, said, “The classroom is a key launchpad for the digital transformation that will advance Jamaica’s development in meaningful ways. The Flow Foundation is proud to spotlight innovative educators who are embracing ICT in creative and impactful ways to empower the next generation of thinkers.”

Hailing the move, Dr Winsome Gordon, chief executive officer of the Jamaica Teaching Council, said, “We’re excited about this partnership and the role it will play in empowering and motivating our educators. This will undoubtedly fuel their drive and dedication to empowering the next generation in ICT development.”

Applications open on World Teacher Day, October 5, 2025, and the awards ceremony will be hosted in May next year.

For information on the submission guidelines, interested teachers and schools can email jtc.info@moey.gov.jm.