SOME 250 Jamaican students benefited from urgent reading support this summer with help from the Winsome Wishes for Kids (WWK) organisation. WWK is a non-profit that helps with skill sets and tools needed to nurture early childhood schoolchildren with learning deficits.

This year, the programme expanded its reach to six additional schools across Clarendon, St Catherine, and Manchester, where urgent reading support was identified as a pressing need. CIBC Caribbean supported as a platinum league sponsor, a move it said reaffirms the bank’s commitment to advancing literacy and youth development across Jamaica.

“The programme serves as a vital intervention by equipping children with the foundational literacy skills necessary for academic success and future opportunities,” the bank said in a statement.

“Through CIBC Caribbean’s sponsorship, the initiative was able to provide books and lunches for 250 students, along with school supplies, comprehension worksheet packets, and financial literacy resources that complemented their reading development.“

Annique Dawkins, head of country, CIBC Caribbean Jamaica, praised the initiative’s impact on students heading back to school.

“At CIBC Caribbean we are deeply committed to investing in the education of our children. Literacy is the gateway to every other opportunity in life, and programmes like this not only build stronger academic foundations but also strengthen communities and Jamaica’s future,” she said.

Meanwhile, founder and president of WWK, Simone Sobers, explained that the support from CIBC Caribbean was instrumental in helping them expand their reach in this fifth year of hosting the summer programme.

“By providing children with not just books, but the tools, meals, and resources they need, we are ensuring they have every opportunity to thrive academically and beyond,” Sobers said. “This is an investment in the future leaders of Jamaica.”