Notes To Financial Statements - Jamaica National

Corporate Social ResponsibilityJamaicans in the DiasporaJamaica National was a key participantin the Third Biennial Jamaican DiasporaConference, which was held in Kingston, atthe Jamaica Conference Centre, in June 2008,under the theme, “Borderless Partnership forDevelopment.” Jamaicans in the Diaspora werehailed as a “mighty force” in the country’snational development.Many of the more than 700 delegates whoattended the three-day event, for which theGeneral Manager of JNBS was Co-Chairmanof the Preparatory Committee, are overseasmembers of the Society.Education InitiativesIn the area of education, the Society maintainsa consistent scholarship programme, whichsupports the education of our young people atdifferent levels and in various categories:JN Scholars: During the past 25 years, JamaicaNational has awarded approximately 250scholarships to students at the high school andtertiary levels. In September 2008, 47 studentswere awarded scholarships. Of this number,15 were top parish performers in the GradeSix Achievement Test (GSAT), three were topJN School Savers, one from each county; andseven were children of JN employees.Keisha Melhado, Senior Underwriter in the LoanProcessing Centre, Jamaica National, reads to studentsof the Maxfield Park Primary School on May 27, 2008.JNBS staff members engage students in readingsessions as part of the Private Sector Organisation ofJamaica (PSOJ) reading programme dubbed “Reading… the Bottomline”. The initiative was introduced lastyear to increase the standard of students at the primarylevel.Some 12 students from The University of theWest Indies, the University of Technologyand Northern Caribbean University were alsoawarded two-year full tuition scholarship,or bursaries. A special reception was held inSeptember, to motive students, and welcomethem as JN Scholars.Summer Interns: Annually, the Society providesthe context in which university and otherstudents receive practical training, in concertwith their field of studies, at the Society. Lastyear some 270 students were interns; andseveral JN scholarship holders were among thisgroup.More than 400 high school students from across theisland converged on the Jamaica Conference Centreon June 13, 2008 for the grand finale of phase one ofa Financial Literacy initiative to improve their moneymanagement skills. The JN/CARIMAC project wassupported by Jamaica National through the Society’sSchool Savers’ Programme.40