Rebuilding Education After Hurricane Melissa: Why Classrooms Matter for Jamaica’s Children

On October 28, 2025, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm, causing widespread damage to homes, infrastructure, and public services across the island. Among the most serious consequences was the disruption of education. Hundreds of schools were damaged or forced to close, interrupting learning for tens of thousands of children at a moment when stability was already fragile (UNICEF Jamaica, 2025).

According to UNICEF Jamaica (2025), more than 650 schools serving approximately 150,000 students were affected by the hurricane. For many children, classrooms were not just damaged but rendered unsafe or unusable, delaying plans to return to school and placing additional strain on families and educators.

Education as a Stabilizing Force After Disaster

Schools play a critical role in children’s lives beyond academics. They provide routine, safety, social connection, and access to essential services. After a major disaster, returning to school is often one of the strongest indicators of community recovery and child well-being (UNICEF Jamaica, 2025).

Recognizing this, UNICEF has worked with the Government of Jamaica and local partners to accelerate education recovery efforts. These efforts include the deployment of temporary learning spaces, classroom tents, learning kits, and printed educational materials to ensure that teaching can resume even where physical classrooms remain damaged (UNICEF Jamaica, 2025). In addition, teachers are receiving training to support children’s psychosocial well-being, acknowledging that emotional recovery is as important as academic continuity.

The Impact on Children and Teachers

The disruption caused by Hurricane Melissa extends beyond physical damage. Children have experienced displacement, loss of familiar spaces, and emotional distress following the storm. UNICEF Jamaica (2025) reports that psychosocial support materials and activity booklets are being used to help children process trauma, rebuild confidence, and re-engage with learning.

Teachers, many of whom were also personally affected by the hurricane, are playing a vital role in helping students transition back into structured learning environments. Their commitment highlights the resilience of school communities, even as they face ongoing challenges related to resources, safety, and infrastructure.

StarterBlox Foundation’s Focus

Education is a core pillar of StarterBlox Foundation’s mission. In response to Hurricane Melissa, we have connected directly with school leadership at Mount Airy Primary School in Westmoreland, one of the areas most heavily impacted by the storm. The school is working toward reconnecting with students in January, despite significant damage to classroom spaces.

With limited resources and a focused approach, StarterBlox Foundation is prioritizing targeted, practical support that complements broader recovery efforts led by organizations like UNICEF. Our goal is to help address immediate needs identified by school administrators, such as basic learning supplies, hygiene support, and safe conditions that allow students to return to learning with dignity and confidence.

Rather than attempting large-scale reconstruction, our work centers on small, meaningful interventions that support children’s education during recovery and reinforce the long-term value of schooling as a foundation for opportunity.

Why This Work Matters

Education recovery is not a short-term task. Delays in returning to school can widen learning gaps, increase dropout risk, and affect children’s long-term outcomes. Reopening classrooms, even in temporary or modified forms, helps restore a sense of normalcy and signals to children that their futures remain a priority (UNICEF Jamaica, 2025).

When local schools, community partners, and mission-driven nonprofits work together, recovery efforts become more responsive and more human. Each restored classroom, supply kit, or supportive conversation contributes to rebuilding not only education systems but also trust and hope.

Call to Action

StarterBlox Foundation is committed to supporting education recovery in a responsible and transparent way. As we continue working with Mount Airy Primary School and monitor evolving needs, we invite our community to stay engaged.

You can support this work by:

• Following our updates as we share progress and lessons learned

• Helping amplify the importance of education recovery in Jamaica

• Making a contribution that supports school supplies and child-focused recovery efforts

Every action helps keep children’s education and well-being at the center of recovery.

References

UNICEF Jamaica. (2025). UNICEF drives education recovery in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa. https://www.unicef.org/jamaica/press-releases/unicef-drives-education-recovery-jamaica-following-hurricane-melissa