ST CATHERINE, Jamaica — Junior Achievement Jamaica (JAJ) awarded St Jago High School the Company-of-the-Year for the 2017 JA Company of Entrepreneurs Programme (JACE).  

The innovators were awarded the winning trophy and $500,000 for their company called “Desin Chic” which produced stands for smart phones.

Meanwhile, Kingston College’s company, called Forever Natural, producers of Natural Juices, was placed second and Belmont Academy’s, Belmont Enterprise, producers of lip balms, was placed third.  

JACE said the top three schools were selected based on their business plan report and their final business report, which reflected how they operated their companies over the 2016/17 school year.

 Schools were also able to gain points through participation in a National Careers Week Regional Forum, participation in social media and marketing competitions, and their activities focussing on corporate social responsibility throughout the year.

According to Careen James Barnett, Economics teacher at St Jago High School and advisor to JACE,

“the students won because their dedication and commitment to the development of the product kept them motivated and determined …  Especially as they were placed second last year, so they put their all into ensuring that they covered the weak areas from last year to guarantee the top place.”

In the upcoming academic year, USAID in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, will support an expanded format which will see the integration of the programme into the educational system. This will be implemented in 168 high schools islandwide and is geared towards ninth graders.

The JA is a registered, non-governmental organisation, and a member of Junior Achievement Worldwide, the world’s largest organisation dedicated to educating students about work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy through experiential, hands‐on programmes.