A commitment to literacy and educational recovery took centre stage at the Falmouth Cruise Port last week as United States-based travel company Blue World Travel donated approximately 1,000 books to 15 schools across Trelawny, St James and St Elizabeth.

The donation, made through the company’s long-running Festival at Sea programme, was facilitated by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and St James-based charity Sarah’s Children, founded and chaired by philanthropist Janet Silvera.

Blue World Travel, headquartered in San Francisco and recognised for creating Festival at Sea—the United States’ first African-American cultural cruise—has incorporated community outreach into its annual voyages for more than three decades. Passengers travelling aboard the Celebrity Reflection purchased the books before departing, ensuring their visit to Jamaica would leave a lasting impact beyond tourism.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, JTB Regional Director Odette Dyer said the initiative demonstrated how tourism partnerships can make a meaningful contribution to education and community development.

She described books as one of the greatest gifts that can be placed in a child’s hands, encouraging students to embrace reading as a pathway to knowledge, imagination and personal growth.

Blue World Travel President Patricia Yarbrough said the donation forms part of the company’s 34th Festival at Sea, explaining that passengers willingly purchased books and school supplies before their vacation as a way of giving back to destinations that welcome the cruise each year.

She said the programme was established to ensure the cruise leaves a positive legacy in the communities it visits, adding that supporting children’s education has remained at the heart of the initiative since its inception.

Silvera said the donation was especially timely as many schools across western Jamaica continue to recover from Hurricane Melissa, which damaged classrooms, libraries and learning resources.

She noted that replacing books is a critical part of restoring educational spaces, adding that every donation represents an opportunity to nurture curiosity, confidence and a lifelong love of learning.

The presentation also featured performances by alumni of Morgan State University, who travelled with the Festival at Sea delegation, while representatives of the participating schools joined tourism officials and cruise guests in celebrating another successful collaboration dedicated to Jamaica’s children.