GoodHeart | Bridget Robbins sparks creativity among J’can students
Published:Saturday | September 27, 2025 | 12:05 AMJanet Silvera/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
“If we didn’t have this competition, we would never have known how many creative children we had.” That is how Acting Principal Lorraine Campbell Hartley describes the impact of 16-year-old Jamerican philanthropist Bridget Robbins, whose generosity has transformed the artistic life of St Martin de Porres Primary School in Gordon Town, St Andrew.
For two years, Robbins has been sending barrels of art supplies to the semi-rural Catholic school, which draws its students from communities high in the hills, such as Mavis Bank, Guava Ridge, Mount Charles, Hagley’s Gap, Industry Village and Papine. In a setting where there is no dedicated art teacher, the supplies have opened doors to creativity.
“Bridget went all out,” Campbell Hartley explained. “We were given so many things to work with. We did not have to buy anything. The teachers could move beyond ordinary colouring and let the children paint, draw, and create. And, in June, she and her family came in person to do even more.”
That “more” was a schoolwide art competition, the first of its kind at St Martin de Porres. Every child, from the four-year-olds in kindergarten to the 12-year-olds preparing for secondary school, was encouraged to participate.
Out of 410 students, hundreds produced drawings and paintings. What began as an experiment revealed hidden gifts. “We discovered talents we didn’t even know were there,” said Campbell Hartley. “The competition uncovered artists in children we might otherwise never have recognised.”
Prizes were as meaningful as the discovery itself. Robbins, with support from her parents, Tricia-Ann and Scott Robbins, presented tablets, art kits, and paid tuition for 11 students for the 2025–26 school year. “That kind of support is priceless,” Campbell Hartley added. “At the end of the competition, the children said, ‘Miss, we need to have this again next year.’” Every student, whether they won or not, was treated to cake and ice cream, a gesture that left the entire school beaming.
Robbins’ project, which she has formally named ‘Spark Your Art’, began when she was just 12 years old. Instead of requesting the usual gifts for her birthday, she created an Amazon wish list filled with art materials, determined that children in Jamaica should benefit from her celebration. That barrel of brushes, paints, and sketch pads was the seed of a movement.
Her drive to give back comes from her Jamaican roots. Though she was born in the United States and lives in Florida, she spent her childhood in Jamaica until age nine. She now attends Montverde Academy, a school that has supported her philanthropic journey. Her mother is Jamaican; her father is American. Bridget holds dual citizenship but proudly identifies as Jamerican.
Grandparents’ influence
Her late Jamaican grandparents played a pivotal role in shaping her outlook. Community stalwarts, they exposed her to charities and children’s homes from an early age, teaching her the value of service. “I used to go to orphanages with my grandmother and see how much the kids needed, not just things, but encouragement,” Robbins said. “That stuck with me.”
Since the age of 14, she has worked as a counsellor at her school’s summer camp, channelling her wages into the project. “I would use the money from my job to pay for prizes, supplies, and sometimes even students’ fees,” she explained. “It just made sense. I love art, and I love helping kids.”
Her vision is simple yet powerful. “Even if these children grow up to be doctors, teachers, or cashiers, I want them to remember that art is important. It is about self-expression; and self-expression is freedom. Jamaica can be a conservative place sometimes, but art shows kids they’re allowed to express themselves.”
That belief has become the foundation of Spark Your Art. And while Robbins insists she has more plans in the pipeline that she isn’t ready to reveal, she is clear on one thing: she will continue to give back.
As schools across Jamaica reopened earlier this month, the students of St Martin de Porres Primary carry with them more than new books and sharpened pencils. They carry the confidence that comes from being seen, celebrated, and encouraged by someone not much older than themselves, a teenager who believes in their potential.
For Campbell Hartley, Robbins’ influence cannot be overstated. “This project has become something the children look forward to,” she said. “It has created excitement, pride, and joy. Bridget’s generosity has lit a spark that will continue to burn in these children for years to come.”