The Seprod Foundation, in partnership with the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ), has recommitted to transformative youth development through their support of Code Jamaica, an umbrella initiative implemented by Halls of Learning.

The partnership is designed to expand access to high-quality STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) education across the island. Now in its fourth year, the partnership between Seprod Foundation and AFJ has empowered thousands of Jamaican students and educators through a range of coding and robotics-focused activities.

This year, AFJ provided dedicated sponsorship for two major initiatives under Code Jamaica: the Coding Challenge 2025 and the annual Halls of Learning Robotics Outreach Day, both executed by Halls of Learning.

The Coding Challenge 2025, organised in Jamaica by Halls of Learning in association with the Raspberry Pi Foundation, offered students in grades 4 to 12 an opportunity to strengthen computational thinking and coding skills. Participation in the challenge was completely free, thanks to the support of both the Seprod Foundation and a grant from AFJ.

This year’s challenge saw 297 students participate in round 1, with 220 advancing to the in-person finals. Awardees will be celebrated at a special awards ceremony on July 5.

In addition to the challenge, AFJ and Seprod Foundation co-sponsored the Annual Halls of Learning Robotics Outreach Day, held on July 20. The event brought together approximately 100 children of all ages for a dynamic day of hands-on STEAM learning, featuring booths on encryption, 3D printing, coding, engineering, and robotics.

Students navigated through three levels of progressive engagement, supported by instructors who included members of Jamaica’s National Olympiad Teams in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).

“This is our biggest day of the year,” said Marvin Hall, founder of Halls of Learning. “We love partnering with the Seprod Foundation along with the support from the American Friends of Jamaica. We want more children to get exposed to these activities – not just to see them on TV, but in real life and hopefully in their school curriculums.”

“We are proud to partner once again with the Seprod Foundation and Halls of Learning to support initiatives that open doors for young Jamaicans in STEAM,” said AFJ director Monica Ladd. “At AFJ, we believe in investing in education and innovation as a pathway to opportunity, equity, and empowerment for all.”

“Our goal is to create opportunities for all Jamaican children to thrive in the digital age,” said Lisa D’Oyen, executive director, Seprod Foundation. “Thanks to AFJ’s steadfast partnership, we are equipping the next generation with the skills they need to solve real-world problems and become leaders in science and technology.”

Code Jamaica also includes other Seprod Foundation-supported initiatives such as the World Robot Olympiad Jamaica, BEBRAS Challenge, and Kangaroo Math Challenge, reinforcing the foundation’s commitment to innovation and equity in education.