"It was really a wonder experience, a really cyan tell yuh any lie…..the skills acquired were priceless,” stated Kenrick Wood from Decarteret College in his testimonial during the Graduation Ceremony of JamCoders Summer Camp 2023.

The second staging of JamCoders - a residential summer camp focused on algorithms and programming for high school students (3rd to 5th years) across Jamaica was hosted between July 2 and  28, 2023. The programme was launched in the July 2022 and remains a collaborative effort between the Department of Computing, Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI Mona, members of the Caribbean Diaspora employed at Google and UC Berkeley, and reggae artist Jamar ‘Chronixx’ McNaughton through his CHOR Foundation.

JamCoders continues to facilitate the exchange of knowledge with world-class computer scientists and encourages cultural interaction between local and international lecturers and students. This year, the camp welcomed twenty-nine (29) girls and twenty-one (21) boys from 14 parishes. The academic team comprised of four esteemed lecturers: Prof Boaz Barak from Harvard University, Dr. Timnit Gebru from Distributed AI Research Institute, Prof. Jelani Nelson from the University of California Berkeley, and Prof Daniel Coore from The University of the West Indies, Mona. They were supported by eleven (11) teaching assistants hailing from eight countries, with eight (8) affiliated with the University of California Berkeley, one from the University of Waterloo, and two (2) from The UWI Mona. Seven (7) dedicated, UWI students and alumni served as chaperones to oversee the students well-being. This ‘convergence' of ICT education and cross-cultural learning serves to equip the participating youth to emerge as global leaders with robust ICT skills. “Algorithms are the building blocks of problem-solving and the heartbeat of innovation.  Since coding camps provide hands-on learning, a structured curriculum, academic guidance and an interactive learning environment, they are a great way to get the youth interested in technology” stated Prof. Gunjan Mansingh, Former Head, Department of Computing. It is hoped that the participants will go on to pursue careers in the ICT industry, contributing to the Caribbean region becoming a well sought after producer of technology rather than mere consumers. To date, “JamCoders has significantly impacted approximately one hundred Jamaican students and it’s a privilege to work with our partners to provide these talented students with a unique opportunity to be exposed to content that will accelerate their computing knowledge, all without incurring any additional expenses”, added Prof. Jelani Nelson (UC Berkley).

JamCoders transcends the typical coding camp experience by offering diversified learning opportunities and edutainment through weekly excursions. These outings included guided tours of The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, the Castleton Botanical Gardens, Holywell National Park, as well as a sports day.

The JamCoders team extends heartfelt gratitude to its partners for their unwavering support and eagerly anticipates their continued partnership: Caring Hands of the Rastafarians, National Commercial Bank Foundation, Digicel Foundation, Grid Dynamics, Jamaica Public Service Foundation, Island Grill, Victoria Mutual Foundation Limited, Norus Technology, Starapple AI, University of Berkeley, Engineering, Think and Change, The D.E. Shaw Group, and The Survival and Flourishing Fund.

Follow the Faculty of Science and Technology on Instagram @uwimona_fst and on Facebook at @ The Faculty of Science and Technology, The UWI Mona. For enquiries, WhatsApp us at 1-876 552-4691, call us at 1-876-977-1785 or email us at fst@uwimona.edu.jm.