The Mico University College, in partnership with the Gore Family Foundation and the Council for Creative Education (CCE) Finland, will host a National Mathematics Workshop from May 27 to 29, 2025, at its Marescaux Road campus. The workshop’s theme is, “Education Transformation: Elevating Mathematics Teaching and Learning”, and it will advance pedagogical excellence by equipping educators with innovative, evidence-based strategies.

The three-day workshop will commence with an opening ceremony at the Enos Nutall Lecture Theatre on May 27.

Distinguished leaders in education have been invited to address the teachers during the opening ceremony, including Dr. Asburn Pinnock, President of The Mico University College; Mrs. Christine Gore, Executive Director of the Gore Family Foundation; Professor Neville Ying; Senator Damion Crawford, Opposition Spokesperson on Education, and The Honourable Dana Morris-Dixon, Minister of Education. The workshop will provide transformative insights into mathematics instruction and run daily from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM..

Mrs. Joy Baker-Gibson, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology at The Mico, emphasized that the workshop will introduce “innovative instructional strategies to reimagine mathematics teaching in the classroom”. She was speaking to Television Jamaica’s Neville Bell on Smile Jamaica.

A key highlight is the participation of Mr. Heramb Kulkarni, a renowned expert and Director at CCE Finland, who will present globally validated methodologies that have enhanced mathematics education worldwide. The collaboration is an answer to the poor performance of mathematics students nationally, it seeks to bridge the gaps that exist between teaching and learning the subject across Jamaican classrooms. 

As the Western Hemisphere’s oldest teacher training institution, The Mico continues a legacy of shaping exceptional educators, and The Gore Family Foundation’s enduring partnership with the institution reflects a shared dedication to this educational excellence.

Mrs. Christine Gore said that, “our long-standing collaboration with The Mico is grounded in a shared vision of empowering educators and students. The National Mathematics workshop embodies our commitment to transforming mathematics education and equipping teachers with the tools to inspire future generations”.

The workshop is open to participants selected from among early childhood, primary, secondary and tertiary mathematics educators, as well as to selected specialists from the Ministry of Education.

The University College’s President, Dr. Asburn Pinnock cited the urgent need for institutions like The Mico to focus on producing better teachers of mathematics while improving the current batch. He said that after recent reports of poor mathematics performance across Jamaica and the Caribbean,  “The Mico has a duty to help address this important issue of under performance in mathematics”.  

He said that collaborating with the Gore Family Foundation to deliver the National Mathematics Workshop is just one of the solutions that The Mico will deploy to help improve mathematics results. This year the University College will also be training its third cohort of over 250 stem scholars, including mathematics educators.

The Mico encourages qualified secondary school graduates to pursue careers in mathematics education, as it seeks to continuously enhance the skills, strategies, and expertise of Jamaica’s teachers of mathematics.