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!
Since it's inception in 1996, the CATALYST Mission Relationship has engaged the students of Parade Gardens in various activties, which no doubt has aided the students' development and growth, both on an academic and an emotional level.
Another activity that is hosted by the CATALYST Mission Relationship is the annual "It's All About Me" Essay Competition, which started in 2005. The personal essay is a very important aspect of the college application process, and the contest gives the students some experience in writing such an essay. CATALYST Alumni - students who have completed college in the U.S. on behalf of the Programme - judge the entries and collect money among themselves to award cash prizes. This is there way of giving back to CATALYST at the moment.
Another means by which CATALYST aid in the essay writing process is by allowing the students to write articles that are published on the web. These articles may be about the students themselves, what challenges they are facing, about their community and also about Jamaica.
Every year, Ms. Biggers and Mrs. Cannon, Senior Donor, host a CATALYST Work Trip in Downtown Kingston. The main purpose of the trip is to recieve an update and assess the student's academic profermance for the year. It is also during this trip that Ms. Biggers and Mrs. Cannon meet to discuss the plans for the coming year with the Grace & Staff Board Members.
From the above it seems that the CATALYST Administrators are in Jamaica for only a couple of weeks. So, how can they know the students on a personal level, so that they can help them to the full extent that they want to? Sure, they can email them. And there are Grace & Staff employees and Mr. Curtis Sweeney - Counsellor, but Ms. Biggers thought that these were not enough. Thus, the Mentorship Program was initiated. In the Program, each student is assigned with a mentor - a employee throughout GraceKennedy Group of Companies. This initiative was so successful that Grace & Staff employees adopted this idea for all their students. And a manual was prepared by Curtis Sweeney.
The CATALYST Photography Club is one of such activities. The main purpose of forming the Club was to provide an extra-curricular activity to some of the students, who are not otherwise involved in their community due to the occasional uprise of crime and violence. Recently, however, the Club has been an avenue of expression for most of the students. Having recognized this, CATALYST continues to be strongly involved in the club, for example by hosting regular photo competition. Consequently, the Photography Club has grown to be a well-recognized youth club in the community.
The Photography Club
"It's All About Me" Essay Competition
Articles
Annual CATALYST Work Trip
The Mentorship Program