Some 90 students across Jamaica’s 14 parishes are now benefiting from one-on-one guidance and support through the Jamaica Diaspora Mentorship Academy.
The programme, which was launched two years ago by Vice Chair of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council and Education Sector Lead, Dr. Sandra Colly-Durand, currently pairs 90 mentors from around the world with the students selected through a partnership with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information.
Dr. Colly-Durand, who resides in France and serves as a manager at ESSEC Business School, was among seven members of the diaspora presented with the 2026 Governor-General’s Achievement Award on Monday (June 15), during a special ceremony at the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, currently being held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James.
A former educator at Vaz Preparatory School, the University of the West Indies and Shortwood Teachers’ College, Dr. Colly-Durand said her background in education inspired her desire to find practical ways to mobilise the knowledge and experience of Jamaicans living abroad in support of students and educators at home.
She pointed out that the academy is part of a broader vision to maximise the expertise of highly skilled Jamaicans across the globe and channel those resources into helping students, teachers and families throughout the island.
The impact of the initiative is also being felt beyond the screen.
According to Dr. Colly-Durand, a mentor based in the United Kingdom recently travelled to Jamaica carrying school supplies to visit her mentee in person.
She informed that the family sent back a photograph and a message of gratitude, saying the programme had changed their lives.
“Also, I have another mentor out of Brussels who mentors a young lady and said if the young lady gets into university, she’s committed to paying all of her scholarship,” Dr. Colly-Durand stated.
In the meantime, Dr. Colly-Durand said she was grateful for the Governor-General award.
“It’s a massive privilege and honour to get this award. I know that there are lots of other people who even deserve it more because there are so many of us doing work for Jamaica in our corners of the globe. So, for me it’s really a massive privilege and I measure the importance that it represents,” she stated.
