A St James Church Opened Its Doors as a Free Learning Centre With $500,000 in Equipment

• Flanker Seventh-day Adventist Church opened a learning centre in February 2021
• USAID provided tablets, laptops, Wi-Fi, printers and supplies worth $500,000
• It serves students without internet access, mainly those sitting PEP and CSEC
• It is open from 8:30am to 3:30pm, Monday to Friday

The Flanker Seventh-day Adventist Church in St James has opened a free learning centre for students who cannot get online at home, the Jamaica Observer reported in February 2021. The centre opened on 7 February, while COVID-19 was keeping many students in remote classes.

The equipment is worth $500,000 and includes tablets, laptops, Wi-Fi access, printers and teaching supplies. It was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Local Partner Development and COVID-19 Response Project. Students can use the internet and the devices at no cost and get help with homework and school projects. The centre also offers psychosocial support, and motivational talks are planned once or twice a month.

Pastor Alpheus Smith said the church would take in as many young people as it safely could. “We will open to as many students as we will be able to accommodate within this COVID-19 period,” he said. Maxine Lawrence, the church’s education director, said the main focus would be on students facing major exams. “We will be mainly catering to the PEP students and the CSEC students,” she said. Students who attend face-to-face classes can also use the centre for homework.

The centre is open from 8:30am to 3:30pm, Monday to Friday. That puts the church’s education work on a weekday schedule, not only around weekend services.

Flanker shows how a congregation can extend its reach beyond weekend worship. A partner paid for the equipment, so the congregation mainly supplied space, supervision and a reliable schedule. For churches across Jamaica with facilities that sit quiet on weekdays, a partnership like this is a low-cost way to serve the community. Before hosting a centre, churches should check their insurance, security for the equipment and the running costs of electricity and internet.

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