STATE minister in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Rhoda Moy Crawford on Tuesday welcomed scholarship donations totalling $2 million dollars to 12 students across the island.

Awarded through the JPS and Partners Co-operative Credit Union, the scholarships provided financial support to 10 Primary Exit Profile (PEP) achievers and two students matriculating to university.

Speaking with the Jamaica Observer following the awards ceremony held at Swallowfield Chapel in Kingston, Crawford lauded the credit union for its commitment to the education sector. It has increased the value of its PEP school bursary from $62,500 to $100,000 per recipient, payable over a period of five years, provided that the student maintains at least a B average.

“It’s back-to-school period and we know the challenges, especially coming out of Hurricane Melissa. The Government is doing plenty through our Members of Parliament, through our very own Ministry of Education, but enough is never enough and education relies and depends on sponsorship and partnership support from private sector organisations and NGOs,” Crawford said, adding that a number of private sector organisations have been helping the education sector.

“Usually it’s not very often that you see credit unions giving back in the way they are doing today. I think it is a good thing and I want to commend those entities for taking their corporate responsibilities so seriously. I think one of the greatest investments anyone can make is an investment in education and so I want to invite other corporate companies to help in whatever way,” Crawford added.

The credit union’s treasurer, Winston Delahaye, said the allocation was increased for the union’s 70th anniversary.

“We recognise that the cost of school-related expenses continue to rise, and it is fitting that in this milestone year our support rises to meet that reality. This is our way of ensuring that the award remains not just symbolic but genuinely meaningful to the families who receive it,” he told guests during his address.

Treasurer of JPS & Partners Co-Operative Credit Union Limited Winston Delahaye (right) presenting a Founders’ Scholarship award to Brittany Bryan. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Delahaye maintained that the donations should not be viewed as charity but as an investment in recipients’ future.

“These awards are not a one-time gesture; applicants who maintain excellent academic performance are eligible for annual repeat awards. This is intentional. We are not simply celebrating a single achievement; we are committing to work with you throughout your academic journey. It is only fitting, then, that the theme for our 70th year is ‘Empowering Generations, Inspiring the Future’,” he added.

Delahaye also urged students to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool throughout their high school years.

“You are stepping into a world unlike any that came before you, a world shaped by rapid advances in technology and artificial intelligence. This is not something to fear. It is something to harness. The generation before you built with their hands and their determination. You have the added advantage of tools that can help you to learn faster, research deeper, create more boldly, and solve problems that once took entire teams to address. Do not see AI and technology as shortcuts but as instruments — much like a hammer in the hands of a builder,” he said.

“The skill, the vision, and the integrity must still come from you. Use the tools to sharpen your thinking, not replace it. Let them expand your curiosity, not narrow it. The future belongs to those who are curious, disciplined, and unafraid to keep learning,” Delahaye added.

Crawford agreed.

“Just like when the Internet just came about, even social media, and persons complain about the good or the bad. But AI, just like any new technology, once it is used well and the students integrate it well, I don’t think it is anything to fear. I think it is something to use responsibly,” she told the Observer.