Scotiabank, Junior Achievement conclude $14-million programme
A ONE-DAY intensive Innovation Camp, executed through a collaboration between Scotiabank and Junior Achievement Jamaica and held recently at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston, was an important component of the Road to Success Programme, designed to prepare young people to succeed in life and face economic challenges.
At the camp, more than 100 grade-nine students competed in approximately 16 teams to solve a high-level challenge identified in the banking industry. Students completed several hours of an in-school curriculum known as Economics for Success.
The content provided practical information about personal finance and the importance of identifying education and career goals based on skills, interests, and values. Now fully digitalised, students may interface with programme content using their personal smart devices.
“We are grateful to Scotiabank for this partnership that allows Junior Achievement to help a cohort of students develop the skills needed in a chosen career while providing them with guidance and training focused on boosting financial literacy,” said Alphie Mullings-Aiken, president of Junior Achievement Jamaica.
After several presentations and intense judging by five panels of judges, the St James-based Mount Alvernia High School emerged the victors. The final teams had to present innovative ways to make financial literacy more interesting for teenagers using technology, hence empowering youth to become more financially literate.
ROAD TO SUCCESS PROGRAMME
Since 2017, Scotiabank volunteers, teachers and Junior Achievement staff members have been working to impact more than 2,000 Jamaican youth in the Road to Success Programme. The students engage in an average of six hours of in-class empowerment to increase their knowledge in areas such as smart budgeting, wise credit use, and minimising financial risk.
David Noel, senior vicepresident and head, Caribbean North and Central Scotiabank, said the partnership with Junior Achievement has allowed Scotiabank to impact thousands of young people.
“Scotiabank is pleased to have partnered with Junior Achievement. Here in Jamaica, this partnership with Junior Achievement Jamaica has positively impacted thousands of young people,” Noel said.
“It is also a partnership that has provided Scotiabank employees with an opportunity to give of their time and expertise through volunteerism – enabling us to connect in ways that have been very valuable not just in building relationships and business but more so the morale of our team numbers,” he added.
Mount Alvernia will represent Jamaica in the Regional Innovation Competition, where they will compete against scores of youth across Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada.