In Jamaica, youths from tough and violent neighborhoods are learning to view life through a different lens. Thanks to the game of dominoes, at-risk teens are learning to strategize, plan ahead, and develop critical thinking skills that translate to the real world.
With the country’s youth unemployment at 38%, and crime- and gang- ridden neighborhoods rife around the capital, Kingston, teens can often feel they have few opportunities to succeed. But participants in dominoes programs say the game is teaching them how to think through their choices.
“Dominoes for Life,” designed by the Justice Ministry specifically for at-risk youth, and the official National Association of Domino Bodies (NADB), attract students from all over the country. Students who are at risk of becoming involved in crime begin to learn how their choices matter.
“Life is a game, just like the domino game,” says Carlington Pryce, a student from the Denham Town area of Kingston. “It’s teaching us to have patience and strategize in our own lives to get past all the blocks and barriers facing us.”
The NADB is even teaching the game in school, with the aim of helping students improve their self-esteem and boost social awareness.
“Dominoes is giving me the focus to do better in all my subjects,” says 16-year-old Shavoine Lewis.
Dominoes is extremely popular in Jamaica, where the government recognizes it as an official competitive sport. Teams of two players try to match the number of dots on their tiles, with the goal of playing all of their pieces first to win. The simple-looking game involves memorization, strategy, and knowledge of probabilities.
Marcia Flynn designed the government’s domino program. She believes that it teaches life lessons. Students learn that the partners and friends they choose and the choices they make determine whether they win or lose in life, just like in the game.
‘‘Some of you used to be on the corners doing nothing, right?’’ she asks a group of students in Kingston who are learning dominoes. ‘‘The opportunity came to study and you made a move forward, just like with the domino game. You are moving ahead with your life and you have to keep your eyes looking forward to see how it will play out.”
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Written by Carla Drumhiller Smith