Junior Centre, Institute of Jamaica

07/09/2026

📚✨ HEY GREATER PORTMORE! ✨📚

Is your child ready to become a stronger, more confident reader? ❤️📖

Registration is now OPEN for our Reading Class at Greater Portmore Junior Centre! 🎉

Give your child the tools, confidence, and support they need to improve their reading skills. 🌟

📝 Register TODAY!
👉 https://forms.gle/Gma8jUiHWu9i8EeeA

📍 Greater Portmore Junior Centre

Don’t wait secure your child’s spot NOW! 🚀📚

KidsLearning Back

07/09/2026

Today, September 7, we celebrate the birthday and enduring legacy of Louise Simone Bennett-Coverley our beloved Miss Lou. Poet. Folklorist. Educator. Performer. Cultural icon. At a time when Jamaican Creole was often dismissed as “bad English,” Miss Lou boldly used the language of everyday Jamaicans in her poetry, performances and storytelling. Through her work, she helped affirm that the Jamaican voice was worthy of being heard, written, studied and celebrated. Her contribution went beyond entertainment. Miss Lou documented the humor, sayings, customs, struggles and experiences of Jamaican people, helping to preserve an invaluable part of our cultural memory and national identity.
So today wi seh:
Happy Birthday, Miss Lou! 🎉
Yuh voice still a talk.
Yuh words still a teach.
Yuh humour still a mek wi laugh.
An’ yuh legacy still a remind wi fi love wi language, know wi culture and value wi identity.
From the Programmes Coordination Division East Street and Greater Portmore Junior Centres and the Simón Bolívar Cultural Centre.
Celebrating Our People. Preserving Our Culture. Inspiring Future Generations.

28/08/2026

🎨🎭 Calling all young creatives🎶✨

Registration is now open for the Junior Centres’ Visual & Performing Arts After-School & Saturday Programmes at both the East Street Junior Centre and Greater Portmore Junior Centre!

Children ages 6-17 can explore their creativity, develop new skills, build confidence and have fun through a range of visual and performing arts activities.

📅 Starts: September 14, 2026
💰 Weekly Fee: $500
🕒 Mondays-Thursdays: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
🕑 Fridays: 2:00-4:00 p.m.
🌟 Saturdays: 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

📍 East Street Junior Centre
Register here: [https://forms.gle/VSb3jnqYQdcEA1Ea8](https://forms.gle/VSb3jnqYQdcEA1Ea8)

📍 Greater Portmore Junior Centre
Register here: [https://forms.gle/GPF8hSCAyw3imZbq8](https://forms.gle/GPF8hSCAyw3imZbq8)

✨ Give your child a space to create, express, perform and grow!

18/08/2026

🎉Happy Birthday to The Right Excellent Marcus Mosiah Garvey!🎉

Today, the Junior Centre Family joins Jamaica and the wider world in commemorating the birth of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, born on 17 August 1887 in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica.

Garvey was a visionary leader, educator, entrepreneur and the founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). His message of Black pride, self-reliance, education, economic empowerment and Pan-African unity inspired people across Africa and the African diaspora.
Did you know?
Garvey believed strongly in the power of knowledge, confidence and self-development to transform individuals and communities. At the Junior Centre, we continue to nurture these values by creating opportunities for young people to read, create, perform, learn and lead through education, culture and the arts. 🎨📖🥁🎭

As we remember Jamaica’s first National Hero, may his legacy continue to encourage our young people to dream boldly, value their heritage and recognize the greatness within themselves.

13/08/2026

Help Us Shape Our Saturday Programme!
The Greater Portmore Junior Centre is exploring the introduction of Crocheting Classes as a permanent part of our Saturday Programme.
Crocheting is more than just a craft-it encourages creativity, patience, concentration, problem solving and entrepreneurship, while giving children and young people a practical lifelong skill.
We would love to hear from parents, guardians and prospective participants! Your feedback will help us determine the level of interest in this exciting new programme.
👉 Complete our short survey here:
Parent questionnaire - https://forms.gle/jncKQMgQQKphgW3J8
Student questionnaire- https://forms.gle/1PFfECrgwdjE5F9j9
Your feedback matters as we continue creating meaningful opportunities for our young people to learn, create and grow! 🌟

05/08/2026

Happy Emancipation & Independence Day from all of us at The Junior Centre!

As we reflect on our journey of resilience, culture, and unity, we honor our ancestors who paved the way and embrace our youth who light the path forward. Let’s celebrate our rich heritage and spirit with pride!

ONE LOVE, ONE PEOPLE, JAMAICA 64!

22/06/2026

05/06/2026

🎭🎨🥁 Visual & Performing Arts Summer Workshop 2026 🎶✨ ROOTS, RIDDIM & KULTCHA
Are you ready to explore your creativity, celebrate Jamaican culture, and develop your artistic talents? Join us this summer for an exciting journey through the visual and performing arts at the East Street Junior Centre and Greater Portmore Junior Centre!

🌟 Discover your talent
🌟 Express your creativity
🌟 Connect with Jamaica's rich cultural heritage
🌟 Learn from experienced facilitators
🌟 Make new friends and unforgettable memories

East Street Junior Centre (ESTJ)
Register here: https://forms.gle/39jE9VFwaJhgSwUr7
Greater Portmore Junior Centre (GPJC)
Register here: https://forms.gle/S78T7Wfvh9HmLyiq6

🎭 Roots. Riddim. Kultcha.
Where creativity meets culture!

27/05/2026

Be there or be square. It will be an event to remember. Come on out and experience JAZZ with a SPLASH of SKA and REGGAE!

Sundays at the Institute of Jamaica just got a whole lot smoother. 🎷

This month’s Last Sundeh Opening brings the vibes with a special Lunch Hour Concert featuring a live Jazz Ensemble with a splash of Ska & Reggae! From soulful vocals to smooth saxophone, drums, piano and bass guitar… di energy ago different. 👀🔥

Before the music starts, enjoy FREE tours across our museums and cultural spaces beginning at 10:00 a.m. Explore Jamaican history, music, art, science and culture all in one place.

📍 10-16 East Street, IOJ Lecture Hall
🗓 Sunday, May 31, 2026
⏰ Concert: 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
🎟 Free Admission

Come fi di culture. Stay fi di vibes. 🎶🇯🇲

12/05/2026

Join us for HUSH: A Children and Youth Symposium – Own Your Decision, Shape Your World 2.0 as we empower children and youth to make informed choices, build confidence, and inspire positive change.

📅 Wednesday, May 13, 2026
⏰ 10:00 A.M.
📍 Streaming LIVE on YouTube
🎥 youtube.com/

Together, let’s create a future where young voices are heard and valued. 💛💙