OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDY AND EMPLOYMENT
The University of the West Indies (UWI) has exchange programs with several regional institutions and alliances with U.S.- and U.K.-based universities.
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
While work is often the last thing on people's minds on a trip to Jamaica, volunteering can be an immensely rewarding experience. It inevitably puts visitors in direct contact with real working people as opposed to the forced smiles associated with the tourism industry. Several church groups offer volunteer opportunities, while there are also several secular options.
Dream Jamaica (contact programs director Adrea Simmons, programs@dreamjamaica.org, or write to info@dreamjamaica.org, www.dreamjamaica.org), one of Jamaica's best volunteer programs, operates summer programs in Kingston that bring volunteer professionals from abroad and connects high school students in career-driven summer programs with the local business community. Dream Jamaica seeks local professionals who can commit four hours per month to mentoring high school students, and program coordinators and assistance from Jamaica or abroad for full-time volunteer work over the six week program each summer.
Blue Mountain Project Jamaica (contact service learning program coordinator Haley Madson, tel. 920/229-1829, slp@bluemountainproject.org, www.bluemountainproject.org) is a volunteer organization focused on the Hagley Gap community in the Blue Mountains that places visitors to Jamaica in home stays and coordinates volunteer work in any number of socioeconomic development projects it oversees, like establishing health clinics, art camps, adult education, basic infrastructure and ecological projects embodying the group's "Educating and Empowering" tag line. Volunteers pay US$79 per night for a minimum of a week, which covers lodging, meals, and transportation. Longer volunteer stints are rewarded with discounted rates.
The Peace Corps (www.peacecorps.gov) is quite active in Jamaica but generally requires an extensive application process, offering little or no opportunity for spontaneous or temporary volunteer work on the island. Nevertheless Americans looking to make a contribution to sensible development programs have found Jamaica a challenging and rewarding place to work.
ACCESS FOR TRAVELERS WITH DISABILITIES
Travelers with disabilities should not be turned off by the lack of infrastructure on the island to accommodate special needs, but it is important to inquire exhaustively about facilities available. Most of the all-inclusive resorts have special facilities to accommodate wheelchairs and the like, but outside developed tourist areas, a visit will not be without its challenges.
TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN
Despite the stereotypes associated with Jamaica (leaving many who have never visited with the impression of a hedonistic partyland or a gun-slinging Wild West), the island is a fascinating and engaging place for children. Beyond the obvious attraction of its beaches, Jamaica has a wealth of attractions that make learning fun, from jungle and mountain hikes teeming with wildlife to farm tours that offer visitors a sampling of seasonal fruits. The activities available to engage children are endless. What makes the island an especially great destination for families is the love showered on children generally in Jamaica. Nannies are readily available virtually everywhere and can be easily arranged by inquiring at any accommodation, not just at those that tout it as a unique service.
WOMEN TRAVELERS
Jamaica is a raw and aggressive society, with little regard for political correctness and little awareness or respect for what is considered sexual harassment in the United States and Europe. Flirtation is literally a way of life, and women should not be alarmed if they find they are attracting an unusual degree of attention compared with what they are used to back home. On the street, catcalls are common, even when a woman is accompanied by her boyfriend or husband; in nightclubs women are the main attraction and dancing can be very sexual. Both on the street and in the club it's important to keep your wits about you and communicate interest or disinterest as clearly as possible. It is more the exception than the norm for men to persist after women have clearly communicated disinterest.
Jamaica depends overwhelmingly on the tourist dollar, and the authorities generally make an extra effort to ensure visitor safety. Nonetheless, if you are a woman traveling alone, it's best to exercise caution and avoid uncomfortable encounters. Suitors will inevitably offer any and every kind of enticing service: Accept only what you are 100 percent comfortable with and keep in mind that local men might make romantic advances because they're motivated by financial incentives.
GAY AND LESBIAN TRAVELERS
Jamaica is notoriously and outwardly anti-gay. Many Jamaicans will defend their anti-homosexual stance with religious or biological arguments, and many reggae artists use anti-gay lyrics as an easy sell, often instigating violence against gay men (whether metaphorically or literally, it's hard to tell the difference). Some of these artists--like Buju Banton, who had a hit titled "Boom Bye Bye" which suggested killing gay people--have toned down their rhetoric following tour cancellations abroad owing to their promulgated prejudice, while others, like Sizzla, continue unabated, indifferent to the potential for promoters abroad to affect their careers.
Though on the whole Jamaica is an extremely tolerant society, it is best for gay and lesbian travelers not to display their sexual preference publicly as a precautionary measure. Many all-inclusive resorts have in recent years altered their policies to welcome gay travelers, and still other high-end resorts have a noticeably gay lean.