CURIOSITY and imagination took centre stage at Rousseau Primary School on May 19 as Grade six students participated in an interactive reading session hosted by the National Housing Trust (NHT) alongside Future Makers and its social impact creator, marketer and author Joel Nomdarkham.

Nomdarkham’s book, Future Makers: A Guide to 30 Careers in the Creative Industry, sparked conversations around creativity, ambition and future opportunity as students explored careers in areas such as media, publishing, marketing, fashion, design and digital content creation.

For Nomdarkham, the publication was inspired by countless conversations with students who often associated success with only a narrow range of traditional professions.

“Whenever I would do career talks, students were always puzzled when I said I’m a marketer because they are more familiar with traditional professions. So I wanted to respond to that need by showing them a wider world of possibilities,” Nomdarkham shared.

He noted that the book has already impacted more than 13,000 young people across Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. Importantly, Future Makers also reflects a strong commitment to inclusive and accessible learning, as the publication uses QR code technology to provide sign language interpretation for deaf readers, broadening access to the stories and opportunities explored within its pages.

The reading session formed part of the NHT’s wider Child Month activities focused on literacy, creativity and youth development, while also continuing the organisation’s engagement with Rousseau Primary School following its 2025 Labour Day project at the institution.

In addition to the Rousseau Primary, the NHT also participated in Read Across Jamaica Day at Amy Bailey Primary School in partnership with Jamaican author Shana Darien, where students were introduced to her books. Copies of both Darien’s and Nomdarkham’s books were donated to the schools’ libraries to encourage continued reading and learning beyond the sessions.

Ramon Murray, creative director and one of the professionals featured in Future Makers: A Guide to 30 Careers in the Creative Industry, reads a section of the publication to engaged grade six students at Rousseau Primary School.

Shauna Gae Clarke, web channels coordinator at the National Housing Trust assists a student in developing ideas during an interactive reading session centred on creativity, talent and future career possibilities.

Students interact with copies of Future Makers: A Guide to 30 Careers in the Creative Industry during the National Housing Trust’s Child Month reading initiative.