STUDENTS at Donald Quarrie High School now have an added boost to the academic programme at the institution, thanks to the Jamaica Private Power Company (JPPC).

Last week the East Kingston-based power company handed over a refurbished library and computers valued at $2 million to the institution.

According to general manager of the JPPC, Ingrid-Christian Baker, the library refurbishing fits into the company’s mandate of ‘Empowering Dreams, Empowering Lives and Empowering Community’.

“This is a demonstration of our commitment to build a community we can all be proud to live and work in. It is also a happy investment to complement the school’s learning and teaching experience. At the JPPC we are serious about being involved and doing what we can in the communities where we operate. We are particularly big on empowering the dreams of young people. And, while we are proud of our role in this regard, we know that what we do is only one part of realising these dreams. The rest is up to the young people themselves,” she noted.

Chief education officer in the Ministry of Education, Dr Grace McLean, while encouraging the students to make the best use of the resources, also commended the JPPC for its commitment to improving the lives of those in its community.

“This kind of corporate support is definitely needed, especially at a time when as a country we are faced with so much economic hardships. Education is a partnership as we prepare our students to take their rightful places as meaningful citizens,” she noted.

The JPPC intervention comes on the heels of a recent GSAT awards ceremony that the company hosted and ties into an established community outreach programme.

The library’s refurbishing work included repolishing shelves; constructing new pieces of furniture; tiling the floor; extending partitions which separates the adjoining computer lab; applying fresh paint to the walls; installing new air conditioning units; and providing new computers and a server system which will be housed in that space.