THE future of Jamaica’s next wave of technological innovation is being placed in the hands of 120 secondary school students who will participate in a programme to design artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to help strengthen the country’s post-Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts.

The initiative, launched through a partnership involving the United States Embassy in Jamaica, NexxStepp Training and Social Impact Consulting, and STEAMHouse Network Limited, is a youth innovation programme aimed at providing students with AI skills to address the challenges that persist after Melissa, which hit the island in October 2025.

“Today’s event is about mixing the power of technology with the power of youth. Both of those are really important in today’s world because the youth are the ones who are going to change the world through this new incredible technology that’s being advanced. At the US Embassy we believe deeply in the power of young people to lead change — not just in remote communities, but in shaping Jamaica’s future,” said Tishauna Mullings, chief social innovator at NexxStepp Training and Social Impact Consulting, during the media launch of the programme at the US Embassy last Friday.

According to Mullings, the initiative is further supported by Google; the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information; Smart Term; and StarApple AI along with US alumni networks, and is designed to give students access to innovative technology, guidance from tech specialists, and opportunities for internships.

The programme will train students ages 15 to 18 from Kingston High School, St George’s College, Pembroke High School, and Covenant of Mercy Academy “Alpha” , over a 12-week period, to develop AI-powered solutions for creative industries, tourism, agriculture, and technology services.

Throughout the training sessions students will gain access to innovation labs where they will collaborate on team-based projects while building skills in design, digital literacy, prototyping, presentation development, and creative leadership.

Senior education officer at the Ministry of Education Dr Lennox Rowe told the launch that he believes the programme is a great opportunity to equip students with AI skills, enabling them to not only compete on a global scale but also to contribute to Jamaica’s technological advancements.

“The time has come for us to change the way we do business. In Jamaica, we have some of the most creative and innovative students in our country. The Ministry of Education has increased its thrust in STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics] and STEAM [science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics] education, so this TechStage initiative is actually assisting the ministry in reaching our students to be creative, to be innovative, and to be problem solvers.

“So, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, I want to laud the visionaries and the sponsors of this event. To our participants, students: ‘Do your best. Work hard. Use the skills that you will garner to improve the lives of others in your community. You have the creativity, the innovation, and the problem-solving skills. You have it all,’ ” he said.

In the meantime, founder and CEO of STEAMHouse Network, Godiva Golding noted that while the initiative has been launched in Kingston and St Andrew, its impact will extend towards western Jamaica through design and solutions feedback.

“How we intend to build these solutions is that students, as much as they’re based in Kingston, they’re going to be working with students who are outside of Kingston as they basically seek to re-establish normalcy. This programme has not extended to there [western Jamaica] just yet but, definitely, as a part of design process and giving feedback and understanding…I don’t think it would have been appropriate for us to just simply launch a programme to say, ‘Alright, come and learn to do some things on computer when computers are down, when things got destroyed, when we’re still restoring power,” reasoned Golding.

“So part of the building resilience is that from the two feet that we are able to stand on here, we have to go help people who are lying down and sitting down. So, yes, students are going to be participating from Kingston but this is not a Kingston project — we still extend right across {Jamaica],” added Golding.

The programme’s first staging will come to a close at a National Innovation Showcase on June 12, 2026, when winning projects will be selected after students present solutions to business leaders, government officials, and media.

Founder and CEO of STEAMHouse Network Godiva Golding speaking about the benefits of artificial intelligence development at the Tech Stage media launch event at the US Embassy in Kingston last Friday. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)