Jamaica Inn Foundation donates Starlink systems to schools
Published:Friday | November 21, 2025 | 12:07 AMCarl Gilchrist/Gleaner Writer
The Jamaica Inn Foundation has donated Starlink satellite internet systems to three schools in St Ann and St Mary struggling with connectivity issues after Hurricane Melissa.
Exchange Primary School in St Ann received its Starlink Gen 3 system last week during a presentation ceremony. Priory Primary, also in St Ann, and Newstead Primary in St Mary are expected to receive theirs shortly. The foundation will also provide a system to the Ministry of Education’s Region Three office in Brown’s Town.
“After what we’ve all been through in the last couple of weeks, this is a bit of a silver lining,” said Kyle Mais, general manager at Jamaica Inn. “We were excited to hand over a Starlink system to Exchange Primary, located right in Jamaica Inn’s backyard.”
Mais noted that while Exchange Primary did not suffer major damage, many schools in the area were affected. “We reached out to all our schools to see how they fared. Though they may not have had structural damage, the lack of communication was a problem. We saw an opportunity to assist in a meaningful way by purchasing Starlink Gen 3 systems for our schools,” he said.
The Jamaica Inn Foundation has long supported community initiatives, including the White River Fish Sanctuary. Mais said youth development is another pillar of the foundation’s work.
Acting principal at Exchange Primary, Natalie Oates-Johnson, welcomed the donation. “It is an ecstatic day for Exchange Primary,” she said. “We reopened on November 3 and have been doing well. We are suiting up the resource room, and connectivity was the missing piece. With Starlink, we can now move forward with personalised learning for our students.”
Karlene Segre, regional director for the Ministry of Education’s Region Three, praised the partnership. “When the school board chairman reached out to say the Jamaica Inn Foundation wanted to provide Starlink kits, I was amazed. This is the type of public-private partnership the ministry lauds and welcomes,” she said.
Hurricane Melissa damaged more than 50 of the 123 schools in Region Three, which covers St Ann and Trelawny, leaving them inoperable.