Backyard teacher determined to start education revolution

At about 10 years old, long before Ronaldhino Brown ever set foot on a college campus, he was already teaching.
His classroom was the backyard of his home in Church, Bog Walk, where a mango tree provided shade and tree stumps became seats. Old books were transformed into teaching materials, while loose sheets of paper served as lesson notes.
About seven children from the community would gather around him for help with their schoolwork. Brown was preparing for his own literacy and numeracy examinations at the time, but whatever he learned, he passed on to them.
Even then, he discovered something that would shape his ambitions years later: the satisfaction of helping a child understand.
“The joy on their faces when they get something right,” he said.
Now 22, Brown is preparing to enter his final year at Moneague College, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Education in secondary education with a double specialisation in computer science.
His journey to that point, however, has been anything but easy.
Brown lost his father when he was seven and was raised by his mother alongside five older siblings. He is the first person in his family to attend college, making the achievement especially significant to him.
“I want to be an inspiration for the younger ones in my community and for my older siblings who didn’t get the opportunity,” he said.
Getting through college has required more than academic commitment. Brown received a partial scholarship from Moneague College and later secured additional scholarship assistance, including support for boarding.
Even with that help, the cost of completing his degree remains a concern.
His final year will bring expenses for textbooks and professional resources, teaching-practicum materials and the research required to complete his programme. For a student who has had to carefully navigate the financial demands of college, the additional costs are significant.
That was why Brown paid close attention when the D&G Foundation opened applications for its Book Grant programme.
He applied, outlining his academic journey, financial circumstances and the work he had been doing with children in his community since childhood.
The application earned him one of 10 D&G Foundation Book Grants, each valued at $150,000.
The award comes at a crucial stage of his studies, but Brown’s commitment to education has never been limited to his own academic advancement.
He continues to help children in his community with their schoolwork, assisting with homework across subjects, finding books when they need additional resources and, when necessary, using AI tools to break down concepts that students find difficult.
Brown is particularly mindful of children whose abilities can be underestimated because they attend agricultural or vocational schools. 
His vision for education is closely tied to technology.
“I want students to be digital citizens,” Brown said. “I think for that to happen, we have to truly embrace the power of technology combined with education.”
That belief is also shaping the future he sees for himself.
After completing his degree, Brown plans to pursue computational research, with a particular interest in robotics, while exploring how technology can be used to tackle challenges in education.
His final-year research will examine areas including robotics and cybersecurity, with the goal of developing a functioning prototype that could eventually be adapted for Jamaica’s education system.
“If I can create a functioning prototype that will help students, whether to increase their reading comprehension levels or to increase their mathematical skills or whatever it is, the possibilities are endless,” he said.
He also hopes to use his teaching practicum to establish a robotics club, giving students the opportunity to experiment with technology rather than simply consume it.