WITH the current economic climate, many more Jamaican families with school-aged children would have greeted the 2010-11 school year wrestling with the varying challenges associated with back-to-school expenses. In a culture where education is highly valued as a road to success, parents and children in particular, often experience anxiety and a sense of disillusionment when they are not able to afford the cost of education.

For 10 high school students, any anxiety that they might have experienced at the beginning of the school term was recently changed to a mood of excitement and renewed hope, as First Union and Mr Lee’s brought good news and tangible assistance.

Ranging from age 11 to 18, the students were selected for scholarships covering the full cost of their tuition and books for the school year. All 10 students are attending schools in the Corporate Area.

Unlike other scholarships, there is no fixed amount in cash or kind for the First Union/Mr Lee’s educational support. Each case is treated on its own merit. Beneficiaries must be self-motivated; demonstrating a strong hunger for learning; and at the time of selection are experiencing a lack of education-related resources that seriously hinders their performance and or ability to achieve their highest potential. They must also be attaining a 60-65 per cent average in core subjects and be registered in a primary or secondary school in Jamaica. The scholarships are subject to an annual extension, depending on the students’ performance.

Giving back to the community is nothing new for the First Union Financial Group Ltd. The renewed thrust with specific emphasis on education has been stirred and bolstered by a call to attention by a private educator of over 15 years. Janette Clarke, who now teaches on a part-time basis, still comes face to face with the daily realities of families who struggle to find the bare necessities in order to send their children to school. Many of these families do not qualify for assistance offered through government programmes such as PATH. And still, many are not being reached by other corporate initiatives or outreach projects offered by non-governmental agencies.

Citing several of the social ills that plague our society and the ripple effects of one social problem often leading to another, the educator argues that, “the monster of crime is one of the social ills that could be seriously tamed and transformed, if more of our youths were rescued earlier”.

“If we are not educated we are less able to make informed decisions. We are (bound to be) better off as a nation if we help our less fortunate children to avoid experiencing the frustration that comes when they want to learn but have no books, other relevant tools or lunch money. There is a need to avoid the natural feeling of resentment and possible negative self image that some children experience when they see abundance around them and they lack even the basic necessities,” she said.

Audrey Dillon, manager of Tyco Foods, owner of the Mr Lee’s brand, said the joint effort between First Union and Mr Lee’s is very much in keeping with the values engendered by the entire First Union Financial Group Ltd.

“It doesn’t matter what you do, education is the key. Our aim is to motivate students to get their best results; and in doing so we hope to contribute in another way to the positive development of Jamaica. We cannot give direct support to all the students whose needs have been brought to our attention, so we are being very selective, based on certain criteria that we have established and for those whom we have selected we are committing to go the extra mile.”

A mentorship programme is being put in place to encourage and motivate the scholarship beneficiaries to remain focused on their educational pursuits. As part of that plan some of the students recently toured the First Union corporate offices in new Kingston and the Mr Lee’s Factory on Westminster Avenue. In addition, the companies hope to establish a complementary programme that will allow First Union and Mr Lee’s customers, as well as the wider public to lend their support to the project.

For Lessanne Roper-Bennett, General Manager of First Union, “it’s more than just doing good”. “We recognise that by helping one child to become more educated, we are touching the lives of several other persons, we are helping to build a more literate and educated workforce; we are encouraging and influencing a positive change which can also mean making a better day for entire families, for communities and for national development,” she said.