"My host family was wonderful-they were very friendly and accommodating. My family was eager to share their opinions with me as well as hear about my observations and the Jamaican slang that I was learning."
- Sally, Xavier University
Kingston, the capital city, boasts the seventh largest natural harbor in the world, and is home to almost one-third of the population of Jamaica. The national language is English (with a melodious lilt), but you will equally hear the "second language," patois. In Jamaica, you will enjoy reggae music and beautiful beaches, but you will also directly encounter the social, cultural, economic, and political issues and concerns facing this developing nation.
Kingston is home to many cultural and historic attractions, including the Bob Marley Museum; the National Gallery of Jamaica; Port Royal, once a haven for pirates; Devon House, a historic mansion that once belonged to Jamaica's first black millionaire; Hope Botanical Gardens; Spanish Town, the former capital of Jamaica, with its colorful market and mix of Spanish colonial and British Georgian architecture; the nearby Hellshire and Lime Cay beaches; and many other historic sites. Institutions including the University of Technology, Jamaica, the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies, and the Edna Manley College for the Visual and Performing Arts are relatively close and are accessible by short bus rides or walking.
You live in a homestay with a middle-class Jamaican family, who provides most of your meals and introduces you to Jamaican family and social life. An integral part of the program, the homestay offers you the opportunity to make life-long friends and experience the culture from "the inside." Host families are carefully selected and experienced with hosting students.
