A Better Jamaica

Established in January 2007, A Better Jamaica, Inc. is a tax-exempt nonprofit community service organization that engages in activities designed to strengthen a set of southeast Queens, New York neighborhoods known collectively as Jamaica. A Better Jamaica has five program initiatives: Classic Film Fridays; Family Movies in the Park; Jamaica Reads, Jamaica Solutions and Jamaica311. Brief descriptions of each of these programs can be found below. For additional information about any of the programs visit the "Programs" page by clicking on the link above. As a non-profit, we survive on donations. If you are so inclined, please click on the "Donate" button below to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!

Jamaica Reads

It's a wrap – the pilot season of Jamaica Reads that is. On Thursday, March 31st, the ten seniors who – for three mornings a week from 9:30 am to 10:30 am – had been working with ten students from two 1st grade classes at P.S. 48 Queens, completed the three month pilot of A Better Jamaica’s “Jamaica Reads”. In the program, each of the “Senior Reading Buddies” was paired with a struggling reader with the goal of moving the participating children further along the reading/decoding path than they might otherwise progress.

By the time the pilot ended, it was hard to tell who had the bigger impact on whom. One thing, however, was crystal clear. The program warrants expansion from pilot to full-blown – six month – effort. With proper funding, that is exactly what the plan is for the Fall of 2011. If you know of possible funding opportunities, please don't hesitate to let us know about them. In the meantime, please check out the short video below.

Click the photo above for a link to a Queens Chronicle article about Jamaica Reads.

Click the photo above to view a Jamaica Reads YouTube slideshow.

Jamaica Solutions

On Wednesday, November 17th, A Better Jamaica hosted Jamaica Solutions -- a conference designed to give the leadership of locally based/focused non-profits the opportunity to discuss our efforts and share best practices so that we can individually and collectively better serve our organizational constituents and the community. The first of these annual conferences, Jamaica Solutions 2010 featured leadership roundtables of locally based: youth sports/recreation organizations; arts educating/presenting organizations; and, health advocacy organizations.

The schedule for the day was as follows:
8:00 am to 9:00 am - Breakfast/Check-In
9:00 am to 11:00 am - Youth Sports/Recreation Leadership Roundtable
11:00 am to Noon - Early Lunch / Check-In
Noon to 2:00 pm - Arts Educator/Presenter Leadership Roundtable
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm - Late Lunch / Check-In
3:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Health Advocacy Leadership Roundtable

Jamaica Solutions 2010 was held at the Harvest Room in downtown Jamaica. For additional information, please contact Greg Mays via phone at (718) 657-2605, or via e-mail at greg.mays@abetterjamaica.org.

Click the picture above to see a set of Jamaica Solutions 2010 pictures.

Click the picture above to see a movie version of Jamaica Solutions 2010 pictures.

Family Movies in the Park

A Better Jamaica's Family Movies in the Park is a summer series that presents family friendly movies in four of Jamaica's neighborhood parks -- Cambria Park, Brookville Park, Baisley Pond Park, and St. Albans Park. The films are exhibited on a 25' inflatable screen and begin at dusk -- between 8:00 pm and 8:30 pm. Films included in the 2010 line-up included: Happy Feet; Pride; Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events; Jaws; Shrek; The Wizard of Oz; Love & Basketball; and Sherlock Holmes.

Click the picture above to see a set of FMITP 2010 pictures.

Click the picture above to see a movie version of FMITP 2010 pictures.


				*A Better Jamaica*



	Home \| About Us \| Programs \| Contact Us \| Family Movies in the Park \| Classic Film Fridays