A US$80,000 Smart Lab for a Church Teachers’ College: “More Than the Unveiling of a Physical Space”

• Digicel Foundation opened a US$80,000 Smart Lab at Church Teachers’ College
• The Mandeville college trains teachers for Jamaica’s schools
• An education official called it a strategic investment in the future
• The foundation praised teachers who worked on after Melissa

Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville, Manchester, officially opened a US$80,000 Smart Lab donated by the Digicel Foundation on February 24, 2026, the Jamaica Observer reported, citing the Jamaica Information Service.

The lab is meant to strengthen how Jamaica prepares its teachers and to speed up the digital shift in the education system. Dr Tamika Benjamin, assistant chief education officer in the tertiary unit of the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, said: “Today marks more than the unveiling of a physical space. It represents [a] strategic investment in Jamaica’s future.”

She argued that the payoff reaches far beyond one campus. “Teachers remain the single most important school-based factor influencing student achievement,” she said.

Digicel Foundation chief executive Charmaine Daniels linked the project to the foundation’s wider plan to expand digital access and build teachers’ confidence with technology. She also acknowledged what educators had been through after Hurricane Melissa: “Despite the conditions of classrooms… and the damage to your own homes… you showed up for your students… and for Jamaica’s future.”

For church-founded colleges, facilities are both a teaching tool and a competitive asset. Modern, well-equipped spaces help attract students and partners and support plans to grow, while outdated buildings can hold an institution back. A donor-funded lab adds value to the campus without adding debt.

Mandeville has long been a centre for church-linked education and a popular choice for returning residents. Investment in its colleges supports the town’s economy, from student housing and rentals to local businesses. For churches that own educational campuses, partnerships like this one show how private and corporate money can be channelled into upgrading property while serving a clear public purpose.

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