BELMOPAN, Belize – Belize has shelved plans for the return of students to classrooms for face-to-face tuition for the new academic year after the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) recommended that schools at all levels begin in full distance learning mode.

When students return to the schoolhousefor in-person learning in August, it will have been 18 months since the onset of the pandemic. For most students, the return to a measure of normalcy will be welcomed, for others, the transition may be challenging. The fact that some youth will struggle is not surprising nor unexpected.

The Multi-Ethnic Youth Group Association (M.E.Y.G.A) Learning Center, Miami-Dade County and Related Urban Development Group (RUDG) hosted a field trip for Liberty City summer camp participants to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The trip was a part of Liberty Square's summer youth program, which aims to empower and develop local youths, and saw 140 students from K-12 explore the latest innovations in aeronautics and astronomy. This trip marked the first official trip of its kind for students in the Liberty City neighborhood. 

Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ (M-DCPS) Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) – a free program that prepares four-year-old children for kindergarten and beyond – will be available in more than 200 schools countywide for the 2021-2022 school year. Children can register for VPK programs if they turn 4 years old on or before September 1st of the current school year. 

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica government Tuesday warned against parents having to pay annual fees for their children to attend schools here, reminding school administrators that no child should be denied the right to an education if school fees are not paid.

HAMILTON, Bermuda – Bermuda is set to close eight of its government-run primary schools as part of a major overhaul of the public school system because of dwindling enrolment numbers.

Miami, – JPMorgan Chase announced today a $500,000 grant to help launch the Multi-Organization Supports for Access, Inclusion and Completion (MOSAIC) program at Miami Dade College (MDC), designed to help Black students complete college and connect with careers and jobs in high-demand technology fields.

MIAMI-DADE – Hundreds of schoolchildren are well-prepared for the upcoming school year after receiving free book bags and school supplies from County Commission Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz. The event took place July 31 in the Chairman’s Doral district office.

Massachusetts, The Authentic Caribbean Foundation (ACF) will be offering neuro-divergent training this summer to Caribbean educators who work with the Disability community. The program is the result of a partnership between ACF and Lesley University Caribbean Institute, Teaching for Neurodiversity and is geared at addressing the educational needs of neuro-divergent children diagnosed along the spectrum of Autism, ADHD, and Dyslexia.   This major initiative will be offered in Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, July 26; The Bahamas, August 2; Jamaica, August 9 and Saint Kitts and Nevis August 16. Saint Lucia completed its training on July 12.

As we approach the start of the new school year, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is closely monitoring the latest developments concerning the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as well as local conditions. Due to significantly shifting conditions in our community; the disproportionate impact that the Delta variant is having on individuals, including those who are vaccinated or have antibodies; the fact that vaccinations are not available for all ages; atypical cases involving healthy and younger individuals who have been hospitalized, as a result of COVID-19; the most recent guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics and now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), M-DCPS will once again meet and consult with local health officials in the coming days regarding the school experience in the fall, particularly as it relates to the mask policy in schools and District facilities.

When students return to the schoolhouse for in-person learning in August, it will have been 18 months since the onset of the pandemic. For most students, the return to a measure of normalcy will be welcomed, for others, the transition may be challenging. The fact that some youth will struggle is not surprising nor unexpected.

MIAMI, Florida, – Miami Norland Senior High School has been chosen as a recipient of the 2021 High School Initiative, an athletic training donation program sponsored by a partnership between Medco Sports Medicine (Medco), the leading supplier of athletic training and sports medicine products; Cramer Sports Medicine (Cramer), a leading manufacturer of sports medicine products; and the Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS), representing the athletic trainers of the National Football League (NFL).