The Sandals Foundation And Local Student Partner To Build New Classroom

November 21, 2024 - Sandals Foundation - Jamaica

The Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International, recently partnered with a local student from Miami, FL, 18-year-old Morgan Gonzalez, to provide the Marie Cole Primary School in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica with a brand new classroom.  The school, which opened in 1968, was originally built for 170 students; however, by 2024, the student population had increased to 400 and many students had been learning in an old bus that was transformed into a makeshift classroom.

Gonzalez learned about the Marie Cole Primary School in 2011 from a colleague of her mother, and immediately fell in love. She has since been working towards her dream of providing the school with a permanent indoor classroom.  She developed a website, Classes for Marie Cole, which contained information on the project and how to donate to the Sandals Foundation, who oversaw the construction efforts while she was away at college. She also organized a school supplies drive that brought in packs of construction paper; tools such as pencils, pens, crayons, markers; and more than 70 books. On June 19, 2024, these were donated along with sporting gear and $6,000 which went towards the construction of a new classroom, appropriately named “The Morgan Room.”

Congratulations to Morgan for reaching her goal and a big THANK YOU for helping the Sandals Foundation to improve the lives of these school children in Jamaica.  While she achieved this goal, Gonzalez now plans to raise money for fencing to protect Marie Cole students from a ditch surrounding the school. Everyone is encouraged to donate on the Sandals Foundation website by writing “Marie Cole” in the comment area.

The Sandals Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was created to continue and expand upon the philanthropic work that Sandals Resorts International has undertaken. It is the culmination of three decades of dedication to playing a meaningful role in the lives of the communities where they operate across the Caribbean. The Sandals Foundation funds projects in three core areas: education, community and the environment. One hundred percent of the monies contributed by the general public to the Sandals Foundation go directly to programs benefiting the Caribbean community. To learn more about the Sandals Foundation, visit online at www.sandalsfoundation.org.