Miami, FL – April 10, 2015 – The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science welcomed the Natural History Museum of Jamaica of the Institute of Jamaica for a VIP reception, under the patronage of the Consul General of Jamaica to Miami, and in support of a cultural exchange partnership between the two museums connecting students and scientists in Jamaica and the USA through environmental restoration projects. Guests enjoyed an evening of live music and Caribbean-inspired cuisine, including tostones with mango salsa, yucca fritters with passion fruit garnish, and fried lobster. After the cocktail hour, guests entered the theater, and were welcomed by Gillian Thomas, President and CEO of the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science. Following a joint presentation by the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science and the Natural History Museum of Jamaica, US and Jamaican students who had joined exchange trips to the partner country spoke about their experiences. The evening culminated with a beautiful tree offering by Anne Marie Bonner, the Executive Director of Institute of Jamaica, who gifted native Jamaican plants to Gillian Thomas, Franz Hall, the Consulate General of Jamaica, and Barron Channer, the National Board Member for The American Friends of Jamaica. The evening reception honored the American Alliance of Museums’ grant-funded project, Citizen-Led Urban Environmental Restoration (#JaMUVE), between the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science and the Natural History Museum of Jamaica. The goal is to create communities of environmentally active citizens where youth in Miami and Kingston take action to restore urban habitats, while interacting with their international counterparts. The project utilizes multiple strategies to maximize engagement among participants.

Khalif Muhammad, Kenyantha Clark, Lakayla Moody, Joelle Vidal, Dayna Richardson, Shemar Spence, Oshane Somers, & Delano Ellis

Gillian Thomas, Franz Hall, & Eldredge Bermingham

Franz Hall & Eldredge Bermingham

Gillian Thomas & Dionne Newell

Gillian Thomas

Dionne Newell & Lindsay Bartholomew

Anne Marie Bonner 

Dionne Newell

Khalif Muhammad, Kenyantha Clark, & Oshane Somers

Kenyantha Clark & Oshane Somers

Oshane Somers

Delano Ellis, Lakayla Moody, Dayna Richardson, Shemar Spence, Joelle Vidal, & Khalif Muhammad

Delano Ellis, Lakayla Moody, Dayna Richardson, & Shemar Spence

Shemar Spence, Joelle Vidal, Khalif Muhammad, & Kenyantha Clark

Barron Channer, Shemar Spence, & Anne Marie Bonner 

Barron Channer & Shemar Spence

Gillian Thomas & Anne Marie Bonner 

Barron Channer, Gillian Thomas, & Franz Hall

Toni Randolph, Gillian Thomas, & Pat Ramsay

Vance Carter, Dawn Hugh, & Dale Jones