TUI Junior Academy Jamaica
Negril is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Jamaica, characterised by its white sand beaches and rich natural biodiversity. However, just like in many popular tourism destinations around the world, the livelihoods of local people in the region, who rely on revenue from tourism, are threatened by the overdevelopment of the resort area and the harmful effects of climate change. The continued erosion of Negril’s beautiful white sand beaches is evidence of this, along with natural biodiversity loss, extreme weather events and pollution.
Following the successful completion of the first phase of this project in May 2025, the second phase of TUI Junior Academy Jamaica continues to empower young people, especially those with physical disabilities, to become eco champions in their communities. Supporting the project’s strong emphasis on fighting climate change, environmental education is delivered via a fully sustainable facility at Sav Inclusive, an accessible, special-needs school.
The Savanna-La-Mar Inclusive Academy (Sav Inclusive) in Westmoreland – 26 km southeast of Negril – is a pioneer in inclusive education in Jamaica’s public education system. Conceptualised and built by the Rockhouse Foundation, the school has been catering for children with disabilities and typical learning children in a productive, inclusive environment since 2017. The school caters for students from low-income rural villages and informal urban communities, along with their families and educators.
In the surrounding area of Negril, although many residents earn their livelihoods through farming and tourism, there is limited awareness of the environmental impact of certain practices, such as slash-and-burn agriculture and poor waste disposal, which contribute to biodiversity loss, beach erosion, pollution, and extreme weather events.
In response to these environmental risks, Sav Inclusive through the TUI Junior Academy project, introduces a climate-focused curriculum that fosters eco-consciousness among students. In addition, it enhances community impact through teacher training, public workshops, and hands-on environmental activities with community people.
Through an engaging curriculum featuring age-appropriate content, hands-on activities, and eco-themed field trips, the project reaches 700 students. Key features include the Eco-Monitor initiative, where students serve as “Green Monitors” responsible for promoting eco-friendly behaviours, such as turning off lights and properly sorting plastic waste in their classrooms. Students from two other public schools supported by the Rockhouse Foundation participate in combined learning activities during field trips to Sav Inclusive, and all three schools receive recycling bins to reinforce proper waste disposal habits.
At Sav Inclusive, 268 students engage in immersive, nature-based experiences such as nature journaling, campus nature walks to identify flora and fauna, and the creation of a composting program using cafeteria waste. Over the course of the project, they also benefit from six educational excursions.
To ensure sustainability and impact, the project trains 48 educators in environmental education, equipping them with the tools to integrate local ecosystems and nature-based learning into their lesson plans. Additionally, it 2,000 community members through workshops and training sessions. Participants learn about the benefits and use of hydroponic farming methods, receive DIY hydroponics kits, and are encouraged to start home-based systems. Community members benefit from a farmers’ market hosted on the school grounds, providing them with an opportunity to sell their produce and generate income.
In response to rising demand, the Rockhouse Foundation is expanding Sav Inclusive by adding a secondary school campus, accommodating an additional 412 students. The TUI Junior Academy project supports this expansion by installing solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system, complementing the sustainability infrastructure already in place on the primary school campus.
Project Partner
The Rockhouse Foundation is dedicated to transforming the places where Jamaica’s children learn and supporting the great people who teach them. Since its inception in 2004, the Foundation has expanded and renovated six Negril area public schools and the Negril Community Library, directly impacting the lives of thousands of young people and their families. The current primary project is the Sav Inclusive school, built from the ground up by the foundation.
All administrative and marketing costs of the foundation are underwritten by Rockhouse Hotel, Skylark Negril Beach Resort, Miss Lily’s and their owners. All donations go directly to the projects and programmes.
