Jamaica Blue Schools

Blue School Coordinator: Tracey Edwards

Contact email: tracey.edwards@alumni.uwi.edu

Organization/Institution: Plakortis’ Earth Cafe

Role Position: Founder/manager

 

Biography

Tracey Edwards is a Jamaican environmental advocate and climate‐change specialist with a BSc in Marine Biology and Geography and advanced studies in Sustainable Development at UWI Mona. She brings over a decade of experience in biodiversity conservation and coastal protection, having led mangrove restoration and water‐quality monitoring programs in Portland and St. Ann, Jamaica, as well as regionally. Tracey developed conservation toolkits piloted across four Caribbean islands and coordinated marine education initiatives in schools both nationally and regionally. As Jamaica’s National Coordinator for UNESCO’s Blue Schools Programme, she champions ocean literacy by integrating marine science, coastal stewardship, and classroom engagement across primary and secondary schools. Through hands‐on workshops, beach field trips, and collaborative lesson plans, Tracey empowers educators and students to understand the importance of healthy oceans for food security, biodiversity, and climate resilience. In addition to her Blue Schools work, Tracey leads Plakortis Earth Café—an initiative that uses art, storytelling, and interactive tools (such as the Climate Nexus card game) to foster community awareness of climate change and conservation. Her approach combines data‐driven research—most recently providing support to UNESCO’s “Feelin’ Hot” Heat Mapping Project—with creative outreach to inspire ocean stewards throughout Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.

 

Blue Schools currrent status

In Jamaica, ocean literacy efforts are supported by national programs such as the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory and the Port Royal Marine Laboratory, both operated by the University of the West Indies. Current focus areas include marine biodiversity, plastic pollution and marine debris, and marine protected areas. Key actors include the University of the West Indies and its marine laboratories located in St. Ann and Port Royal. While no Blue Schools have been formally established to date, work is underway to develop them, and teacher training sessions have already been organized to lay the groundwork for future implementation.

 

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