The UWI Games have always been about more than sport; and on May 26, student-athletes, coaches, and volunteers moved from the campus and other sporting venues into the community to make a difference in the lives of the residents of the St Mary’s Children’s Home.
The UWI Games 2026 Student Athlete Outreach Initiative promoted youth empowerment, service, healthy activity, and regional co-operation.
The team, made up of participants from all five UWI campuses, allowed the children to experience different sports. They also promoted values such as discipline, teamwork, confidence, resilience, and optimism, character traits that sports can help build.
The outreach combined a resource drive for stationery and educational supplies with a multi- sport clinic led by student-athletes and coaches. The contributions from the campuses were aligned to the needs of the home, supporting literacy, academic preparation, creative expression, early childhood learning, and secondary-level study.
UWI St Augustine led the track and field clinic, Mona facilitated cricket, Cave Hill led football, and Five Islands and Global Campus facilitated the basketball clinic. In addition, the St Augustine Advocates for Community Engagement (ACE) students supported children under six years’ old as well as those with developmental disabilities through activities focused on spatial awareness, motor skills, and team-oriented play.
The initiative was also attended by members of the UWI Games Committee, and UWI Games Chair and St Augustine Campus Deputy Principal Professor Derek Chadee.
Jehue Gordon, Olympian and Head Coach of Athletics at UWI St Augustine, led a mentorship session encouraging children to persevere, overcome challenges, balance academics and athletics, and use sport and education as pathways to opportunity.
The engagement also gave student-athletes an opportunity to lead by example. Beyond demonstrating techniques or leading activities, they connected with the children.
“Today, everybody taught somebody about something,” said one athlete from the Cave Hill campus, reflecting on the mutual impact of the experience.
