by Lara Garanzuay, Communications Specialist

June is National Caribbean-American Heritage Month! With that, Learn From Travel is planning a study abroad program in Jamaica where students will get the chance to experience the Jamaican culture and lifestyle. Jamaica is home to a little under 3 million people and offers its people and visitors a lush topography of mountains, rainforests, and reef-lined beaches. Jamaica is internationally prominent in sports and is famed as the birthplace of reggae music, and its capital Kingston is home to the Bob Marley Museum, dedicated to the famous singer.

What Can Your Students Do While Studying Abroad in Jamaica

Learn From Travel’s sample program allows students to visit three Maroon communities, each with a unique history and perspective on the colonial past and dynamic present of Jamaican culture. Students will visit important cultural and historical sites near Kingston and Montego Bay, as well as the Rastafari Indigenous Village. The program will paint a picture of the successful resistance to colonialism as well as modern-day resilience to challenges faced by the people of Jamaica.

Students will visit Port Royal, a peninsula community near Kingston. Port Royal, founded in 1518 by the Spanish, was once the largest city in the Caribbean. The infamous pirate Henry Morgan used it as his base. After a disastrous earthquake struck in 1692, the town’s commercial role declined in favor of nearby Kingston. Today, Port Royal is a heritage and historical site. Students will also tour Fort Charles, a fort that guards the entrance to Port Royal, built in 1655. They will also visit the cultural site, museum, and home to Marcus Garvey. He is a national hero in Jamaica for encouraging self-worth among the African Diaspora despite poverty and discrimination. 

The program also includes a visit to Moore Town, another Maroon community located in the John Crow Mountains of the Portland Parish. Upon arrival, they’ll meet with community leaders to discuss Moore Town’s unique history, including the 1740 Peace Treaty that was signed by the British and the Windward Maroons. Students will also get to hike Nanny Falls. This secluded waterfall is named after Nanny of the Maroons, an honored military leader of the First Maroon War of 1720-1739. Nanny is regarded as a National Hero and is the only woman to have received the title of “Right Excellent” from the Jamaican government. The falls are believed to have healing properties, and in the past were used by Maroon soldiers to prepare for battle. Lastly, students will get to explore Montego Bay. This will include a trip to the beach, the Cultural Center in Sam Sharpe Square, and the craft market.

What Free Time in Jamaica Can Look Like For Your Students

Jamaica is home to over 4.5 million tourists a year and over 900 U.S. university students who are studying abroad. In their free time, students can enjoy the oldest 9 hole golf course in the caribbean, tour the High Mountain coffee factory, visit Mrs. Stephenson's Garden or catch a glimpse of Jamaica's 25 endemic bird species all in the city of Manchester. Jamaica is also home to Carnival, a popular festival held usually in March. Outside of the ocean and beach life, students can take a safari on the Black River and view the Americanus Crocodillus, the cousin of the Nile crocodile. Students can also take a canopy tour and swing through the trees like Tarzan. Jamaica also offers a Negril sightseeing tour where students can visit local shops, walk on the white sand beaches and visit the popular Rick's Cafe. Other fun activities include:

• Dunn’s River Falls and Park: Located in Ocho Rios, students can take a guided climb of the waterfall, hike a trail alongside it or just recline and relax on the beach at the bottom. 

• Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park: The peak of the mountain rises to an altitude of 7,402 feet. The park is globally known for its biodiversity.

• Bob Marley Museum: Located in Kingston, this museum occupies the former home of Bob Marley. Inside, students will see personal artifacts, Marley's personal recording studio and his bedroom, among other highlights.

Traditional Dishes and Experiences of Jamaica

As for students studying abroad in Jamaica, they’ll be happy to know that there is an abundance of coffee! Coffee, especially from the gorgeous Blue Mountain area, where the beans are harvested high above sea level, is one of the country’s main exports.

The food and flavorings of Jamaica are a melding of many cultures, including African, French, and Spanish, making dishes, like Jamaican patties, and goat curry, an exploration into a diverse cuisine. In addition, jerk chicken, made with pimiento wood, Jamaican spices, and the obligatory Scotch Bonnet peppers, is the pride of Jamaican food. There is a special method for cooking meats that result in this flavor and a particular homemade sauce that is used in most instances for the incredible, spicy taste. Locals wash down this delicious fare with another well-known product of Jamaica: rum. 

Jamaica’s national dish is ackee and codfish, or ackee and saltfish as it is more popularly known. It is made with the ackee fruit which grows in abundance in Jamaica and has become an island staple served side by side with stewed salted codfish. The trick is knowing when the ackee fruit is ripe. It is ripe when the ackee pod typically bursts open, revealing a yellow fruit inside. The yellow part is the part you eat, and ackee can resemble scrambled eggs when cooked.

When it comes to visiting a new country, a must-do is always trying new and original dishes. The casual restaurant, Miss T’s Kitchen, gives diners a full sense of the pride locals have over their country and people. A trip to Jamaica is not complete until you’ve had jerk chicken, and the best place to get authentic jerk is at Scotchies. This is one of the places to get a taste of history to go along with your spicy meal. 

If you are wanting to take students on their own cultural experience abroad, request a proposal or check out some of the faculty-led sample programs we offer, including our Jamaican History and Culture program.