The J Wray and Nephew Foundation (JWNF) will be making major improvements to its annual Community Scholarship Awards for the 2017-18 academic year.

A massive expansion will see four times as many students being granted scholarships to high and tertiary-level institutions. Additionally, community service totalling 72 hours per annum will be a requirement for tertiary benefactors. This stipulation is predicated on a principle of giving back and for youth involvement in the development of their communities.

Chairman of JWN and JWNF, Clement “Jimmy” Lawrence noted the company’s longstanding commitment to residents within its operational environs, part of overall push to educate the nation’s youth. “Over the last 10 years JWN has disbursed scholarships to students within the communities it operates in Kingston, Clarendon and St Elizabeth,” said Lawrence. “In 2017, we will continue to offer educational support to our communities and expand our reach.”

Lawrence further highlighted changes made to this year’s programme that will ease the burden on significantly more students.

“This year’s programme will form part of a wider five-year plan, to end in 2021 to ensure a longer term view is taken on the activities of the JWN Foundation. Our 2017 commitment is $6-million in community scholarships. This represents a quadrupling of the number of students who will be impacted,” he announced. “The breakdown is as follows: 100 students totally; 92 at secondary level and eight at the secondary level,” Lawrence explained.

In 2016, a total of 25 students benefited from JWN’s annual Community Level Scholarship Awards.

The 2017-18 Scholarship Awards was launched on Wednesday, July 12 and runs for over a week, with applications set to close next Friday, July 21.

Application forms may be collected from schools and community centres in the eligibly communities of Olympic Way, Riverton Meadows, Majestic Gardens, Waterhouse and Seaview Gardens, all near J Wray and Nephew Limited’s base at Spanish Town Road in Kingston; Gimme-Mi-Bit, Race Course, Water Lane and Vernamfield, which engulf its New Yarmouth plant in Clarendon; plus Holland and Siloah, communities among which lies its Appleton Estate business in St Elizabeth.

The scholarships, for secondary and tertiary level students, are governed by a list of criteria.

Secondary students must:

• Achieve 90 per cent or higher on the GSAT or be maintaining a B average;

• Show financial need (letter from a Member of Parliament, church leader, school principal, JWN Community Council member or police officer above the rank of corporal;

• Write a 500-word essay under the theme “I want to be a … and this is how the JWN Scholarship will assist”;

• Where there is a tie, students may be called in for an interview.

For tertiary students, the criteria maintain:

• Academic achievement of 3.3 GPA/B+ average or higher;

• Showing financial need (letter from a Member of Parliament, church leader, school principal, JWN Community Council member or police officer above the rank of corporal;

• Recommendation by academic advisor or professor;

• Shortlisted students will be called in for a panel interview;

• One-time disbursement, must re-apply annually;

• Successful awardees are required to complete 72 volunteer hours per year within community.

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of judges comprised of JWN executives, a representative from the Ministry of Education and an independent education consultant and successful applicants will be notified during the week of August 14, with the official scholarship ceremony taking place on August 23.

The J Wray & Nephew Foundation has awarded over $30 million in the past decade to Jamaican students, assisting them to complete their secondary education. This reaffirms its commitment to positively shaping lives through educational development and the promise of a better future for the next leaders of the country.