Sixty-four lives will be changed for the better this year courtesy of The Jamaica Energy Partners (JEP) Group’s Scholarship Programme – the first in our history!
Customarily, JEP would award ten students residing in St Catherine, Western Kingston, Eastern Kingston, and Port Royal with educational assistance. However, considering Jamaica’s 60th year of independence, the Group interviewed 60 candidates out of 140 students and then selected 20 to receive tertiary scholarships and grants. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education & Youth was responsible for selecting the other 44 students based on their academic performance and location.
To celebrate our almost J$25-million-dollar investment in our students and their academic success, we decided to forgo our traditional award ceremony and opt for something memorable and fun – a sporting event.
The sports day signified to students that though academic excellence has resulted in them obtaining the scholarship, obstacles and challenges may come their way. However, they can continue achieving greatness through hard work, perseverance, teamwork, and mentorship.
As such, we divided the students into four teams of 16. The teams were Natural Energy (green), Lucozade Energy (orange), Unlimited Energy (blue) and Energy Blazers (yellow).
After a series of events, including Tug-o-War, Math race, Bun eating contest and soda drinking contestants, Lucozade Energy was named the top team with 149 points and walked away with a trophy and medals. However, all the students were winners as, in addition to the scholarships and grants, they walked away with back-to-school items, including books, bottles, and bags.
The island’s leading private power-producing Group, which includes Jamaica Energy Partners, West Kingston Power Partners, and Jamaica Private Power Company, is committed to increasing youth access to quality education by offsetting the expense.
The 20 tertiary students have received scholarships/grants valuing J$250,000.00/J$180,000.00, while PEP achievers obtain $35,000.00 per school year to cover tuition, books, and other educational materials.
The scholarships are payable per semester, and the JEP Group will re-award the total amount until the completion of study once students maintain a B+ average/3.0 GPA.
In 1997, Jamaica Energy Partners officially established its scholarship/grants programme for Region Six. In 2012, WKPP also developed a scholarship fund to support Region One. Jamaica Private Power Company joined the programme in 2019 and continues to serve Eastern Kingston and Port Royal. Together, all three companies contribute to the academic pursuits of 54 students yearly.
Click here to watch our recap video: https://youtu.be/VFV_CbTFca0
