A $3.7-billion contract has been signed for the design and construction of Jamaica’s first Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEAM) Academy.
The school, which will be situated at the Greater Bernard Lodge Development area in Dunbeholden, St. Catherine, will feature cutting-edge science and technology laboratories, digital classrooms, and space for digital innovation, robotics, and the creative arts.
It will have capacity to accommodate approximately 2,400 students from grades seven to 13.
The school will serve as the pilot for a larger government initiative aimed at constructing several specialised STEAM schools across the island to prepare graduates or emerging, future-ready careers.
The National Education Trust (NET) is the implementing agency for the project, with China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation as the contracting entity. The project will be undertaken in segments, starting with the design phase.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Dr. Kasan Troupe, in her remarks at the contract signing on Thursday (June 25) at the Ministry’s National Heroes Circle location in Kingston, said that the project “is about the development of the children of this country”.
“We are looking forward to the benefits that will redound from this infrastructure investment in our education system. It’s not just about the building but the promise it holds for a brighter Jamaica,” she noted.
“We are looking to see the new learning environments where children can create, ideate [and] innovate, where they can problem solve, where they can foster critical thinking… generate the ideas, and facilitate independent learning,” she added.
Managing Director, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Jay Wang, said that the contract signing represents a turning point for the future of education in Jamaica.
“It marks the execution of a shared commitment to investing in Jamaica’s future through education, innovation and human capital development. It marks the foresight and forward-planning initiatives of the Jamaican people. More importantly, it references the long-standing commitment of cooperation between Jamaica and the People’s Republic of China,” he said.
The new STEAM School will address the growing demand for secondary school spaces in St. Catherine, while providing students with access to world-class educational facilities designed to foster creativity, innovation, critical thinking and technological competence.
The school will provide a future-focused learning environment equipped with modern educational infrastructure, specialised laboratories, technology-enabled classrooms and collaborative learning spaces designed to support interdisciplinary teaching and learning.
The design phase includes architectural, structural engineering and civil engineering design; mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering services; landscape and site development design; environmental and sustainability considerations; and the preparation and submission of statutory approval applications.
The school will feature academic classroom facilities, science laboratories, technology and engineering laboratories, innovation and maker spaces, visual and performing arts facilities, a library and resource centre, administrative and staff facilities, student support services, information and communications technology infrastructure, sporting and recreational facilities, internal roads, drainage and utility infrastructure, external works and landscaping.
