A mission between the First Congregational Church and the Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation • Copyright © 2008 CATALYST Mission Relationship
All Rights Reserved • E-Mail: info@catalystworks.org
All Rights Reserved • E-Mail: info@catalystworks.org
Have You Met?
CATALYST Works
Providing Unlimited Educational Opportunities
CATALYST makes the news in Jamaican media
. . . The programme helps students in several ways. They help the needy with school fees and train mentors. They also donated several books to the Homework Centre's library on Tower Street. But most of all what the programme seeks to do each year is prepare students for tertiary education and help them find scholarships . . .
. . . Ramone Williams, a fifth former at St. Georges College, is now a student in the programme. He is from Parade Gardens in Kingston where the homework programme operates. He is a straight 'A' student who wants to be a computer engineer. The help from Catalyst is making that dream seem possible . . .
. . . Ramone Williams, a fifth former at St. Georges College, is now a student in the programme. He is from Parade Gardens in Kingston where the homework programme operates. He is a straight 'A' student who wants to be a computer engineer. The help from Catalyst is making that dream seem possible . . .
The Gleaner
Gareth Manning
May 18, 2006
Gareth Manning
May 18, 2006
Sanjay is a new student to the Progam, who has his manifesto to success planed to the 'T'. He is supportive of teamwork, positive thinking and the satisfaction of knowing when one have put their best effort forward. . .
Congratulations!
First Place Winner
2007
"It's All About Me"
Essay Competition
Ronesha Rhoden
Sanjay Buchanan
CATALYST Expands - Coming Soon!
"A Complete Success"
Ramone C. Williams
June 2007
Ramone C. Williams
June 2007
The CATALYST Work Trip this year was great on several levels, one of which was that I had the opportunity to get to really know and interact with Ms. Biggers and Mrs. Canon, and vice versa. Wait, I should have started from the beginning, so I will come back to that later.
The Work Trip started off with a bang, as the duo arrived a week early in Jamaica, to attend CATALYST Alumnus, Taniesha Thompson’s wedding on the Western side of the island. The wedding was also a complete success despite the fact that it rained most of the time. (Jamaica has entered the 2007 storm season a couple days before and was experiencing some trough!).
After a successful wedding, Ms. Biggers and Mrs. Canon left Westmoreland for Kingston. However, I did not see them until a day later at the Grace & Staff offices. They hadn’t changed quite a bit - well maybe. I, on the other hand was a different story. I had changed a lot during the previous year on some many levels. The meet and greet came to an end that day, as we were all scheduled to be at the Grace & Staff Home Work Center for a meeting. The duo kicked off the meeting by welcoming the new students - I had no idea about this or else I would have prepared an article for the website for the upcoming update deadline.
As always they talked about the importance of the Program, and the fact that it is a three-fold partnership - CATALYST, the students and the parents. Prepared planning sheets were issued to the students and parents, and this brought me back to the time when I was sitting and listening to Ms. Biggers for the first time. It was kind of a relief to know that someone was utilizing their time and resources to assist me, so I can I could further myself academically. The new students wore the same enthusiastic expression that swept across my face a few years back.
Ms. Biggers expressed her gratitude to the students as their academic performance had significantly improved compared to the previous year. I bet I did not have anything to do with this. The day ended on a high note for all the parties involved.
One of the purposes of the Work Trip is to have a private session with all the students. I don’t know they did that, but they did, on the morning of the second day. The afternoon, however, was reserved for Ms. Biggers, Mrs. Canon and I. They wanted a detailed description of what I had been up for the past year. Luckily, I had been following their advice, and everything was in a portfolio. I had been down for some time now and that meeting lifted my spirit. The meeting gave me hope. Who knew? In the evening, they met the new students and their parent’s. I can bet the duo left the offices of Grace & Staff ready to collapse in their beds at the hotel.
They took the morning and afternoon of the third day off for some “me time” - but they were still working. Ms. Biggers had a report she needed to complete for her company, Cultureflight Ltd. In the evening, they had a meeting with the mentors, discussing. . . I do not know. I’m not a mentor. But my mentor gave me a brief description of what took place. Basically they were discussing about the students. I am sure majority of the students don’t know how dedicated Ms. Biggers and Mrs. Canon are. During the Work Trip, they also met with the Grace & Staff Board Members - now that meeting I know nothing of. My guesses are that they discussed new plans and initiatives, ways to gain more support for CATALYST, and to inform the Board Members that the company’s resources were not going to waste. I mean, look at the accomplishment of some of the students. Another tiring but worthwhile day came to an end.
It was here. It was their final day in Jamaica - not really, just their final day with us before departing for Ohio the following day at about 2 p.m. The morning and the afternoon belonged to Ms. Biggers, Mrs. Canon and I. Our meeting was supposed to continue, and yes it did. At the end of the day, my college application load decreased significantly. Before lunch we went to the bookstore to purchase prizes for the students who had entered the Essay Competition. I was bestowed the honor of choosing what the gifts would be. . .
The Work Trip started off with a bang, as the duo arrived a week early in Jamaica, to attend CATALYST Alumnus, Taniesha Thompson’s wedding on the Western side of the island. The wedding was also a complete success despite the fact that it rained most of the time. (Jamaica has entered the 2007 storm season a couple days before and was experiencing some trough!).
After a successful wedding, Ms. Biggers and Mrs. Canon left Westmoreland for Kingston. However, I did not see them until a day later at the Grace & Staff offices. They hadn’t changed quite a bit - well maybe. I, on the other hand was a different story. I had changed a lot during the previous year on some many levels. The meet and greet came to an end that day, as we were all scheduled to be at the Grace & Staff Home Work Center for a meeting. The duo kicked off the meeting by welcoming the new students - I had no idea about this or else I would have prepared an article for the website for the upcoming update deadline.
As always they talked about the importance of the Program, and the fact that it is a three-fold partnership - CATALYST, the students and the parents. Prepared planning sheets were issued to the students and parents, and this brought me back to the time when I was sitting and listening to Ms. Biggers for the first time. It was kind of a relief to know that someone was utilizing their time and resources to assist me, so I can I could further myself academically. The new students wore the same enthusiastic expression that swept across my face a few years back.
Ms. Biggers expressed her gratitude to the students as their academic performance had significantly improved compared to the previous year. I bet I did not have anything to do with this. The day ended on a high note for all the parties involved.
One of the purposes of the Work Trip is to have a private session with all the students. I don’t know they did that, but they did, on the morning of the second day. The afternoon, however, was reserved for Ms. Biggers, Mrs. Canon and I. They wanted a detailed description of what I had been up for the past year. Luckily, I had been following their advice, and everything was in a portfolio. I had been down for some time now and that meeting lifted my spirit. The meeting gave me hope. Who knew? In the evening, they met the new students and their parent’s. I can bet the duo left the offices of Grace & Staff ready to collapse in their beds at the hotel.
They took the morning and afternoon of the third day off for some “me time” - but they were still working. Ms. Biggers had a report she needed to complete for her company, Cultureflight Ltd. In the evening, they had a meeting with the mentors, discussing. . . I do not know. I’m not a mentor. But my mentor gave me a brief description of what took place. Basically they were discussing about the students. I am sure majority of the students don’t know how dedicated Ms. Biggers and Mrs. Canon are. During the Work Trip, they also met with the Grace & Staff Board Members - now that meeting I know nothing of. My guesses are that they discussed new plans and initiatives, ways to gain more support for CATALYST, and to inform the Board Members that the company’s resources were not going to waste. I mean, look at the accomplishment of some of the students. Another tiring but worthwhile day came to an end.
It was here. It was their final day in Jamaica - not really, just their final day with us before departing for Ohio the following day at about 2 p.m. The morning and the afternoon belonged to Ms. Biggers, Mrs. Canon and I. Our meeting was supposed to continue, and yes it did. At the end of the day, my college application load decreased significantly. Before lunch we went to the bookstore to purchase prizes for the students who had entered the Essay Competition. I was bestowed the honor of choosing what the gifts would be. . .