Photo caption (L-R): Prof. Tannecia Stephenson (Deputy Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology) and Dr. Adrian Lawrence (Dean, Faculty of Engineering), The University of the West Indies, Mona. displaying laboratory equipment donated by STEMpower Inc.
The Faculty of Science and Technology and Faculty of Engineering at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona, have partnered with STEMpower Inc. to establish a Mini-STEM Centre which will expand opportunities for practical, hands-on learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) for pre-university and university youth in Jamaica. The two-year partnership will contribute to ongoing efforts to strengthen STEM education among secondary and tertiary students under the title, “Establishing and Supporting Mini-STEM Centres to Strengthen Science Instruction with Hands-on Enrichment”.
Under the partnership, STEMpower Inc. provided approximately US$32,000 in laboratory equipment and operational support. The equipment, which arrived at the Faculties in July 2026, includes items to support the establishment of an electronics and a virtual laboratory. STEMpower Inc. will also provide technical assistance, staff training, training-of-trainers support, guidance on laboratory organisation, and support for monitoring and evaluation. This will help to ensure that the facilities are effectively used and that the benefits of the initiative can be sustained beyond the initial project period.The UWI will provide the laboratory space and lead the coordination and implementation of the programme, working with schools and other education stakeholders to increase students’ exposure to practical STEM activities. The partnership will augment current strong secondary school youth-focused initiatives already underway in the Faculty, and it also provides an opportunity to strengthen the skills of educators and enhance the Faculty’s capacity to support hands-on science instruction.
Through this collaboration, The UWI and STEMpower Inc. are combining resources and expertise to provide students with greater opportunities to learn STEM through practical experience. The initiative is expected to support stronger science instruction, improve access to laboratory-based learning and provide a platform for the continued expansion of hands-on STEM education in Jamaica.
