PWC Jamaica has donated $500,000 to 50 students at Holy Trinity High School, to ease their return to the classroom for the new academic year. On September 15 the students, ranging from grades seven to 11, received gift certificates valued at $10,000 each, to close the gap in obtaining supplies that may have been challenging to secure.

“The truth is, the children who we have at the Holy Trinity High School are from lower-middle class, poorer families,” stated Father Carl Clarke, principal at Holy Trinity High School, “and so any gift is always going to be welcomed. And 50 students receiving gifts is superb; couldn’t have come at a better time.”

PwC Jamaica donated 40 tablets to the institution in 2020 to help close the digital gap created by COVID-19, then returned in 2022 with seven desktop computers, 30 tablets, and 100 access keys to literacy training software valued at $2 million, in support of the Academic Intervention Programme (AIP). Then, in May 2023, the firm gave a donation valued at $2.1 million that covered beautification of the enrichment centre (where the AIP is held), a new air conditioning unit, and eight desktop computers.

According to Carolyn Bell-Wisdom, partner and sustainability leader at PwC Jamaica, investment in youth and education remains a priority for PwC.

“We truly believe that education can make a lasting difference in people’s lives, not only at the individual level but at the national level as well. That’s why we try to truly understand the needs of our partnering schools and work with them to ensure that their students are able to not only attend school, but to thrive as well. This donation reflects this desire, by ensuring the students are starting the academic year with the tools and resources they need to supplement their learning. So, I’m delighted that our firm was able to extend support to these students and we hope to see them continue to grow and develop into well-rounded individuals.”

Currently in its 70th anniversary year Holy Trinity High School wishes to raise $70 million, primarily through corporate sponsorship and fund-raisers. It is hoped that a portion of the funds raised can be set aside to launch an endowment fund, which will help to stabilise the school’s financial situation and assist with guaranteeing a high standard of education for all its students.