Projects

HOME

| ABOUT US

| PROGRAMS

| MEMBERSHIP

| SPONSORS

| NEWSROOM

| CONTACT US

President's Welcome

Computer Lab Project

Volunteer

Partners

Press

Guest Book

Advisory Board

Projects

Donate

Sponsors

Newsletter

Board of Directors

Membership

Gallery

Our Selection Process:
All primary and elementary schools in Jamaica are eligible for our support. The schools are selected initially in areas where the greatest needs exist. We learned from a comprehensive 2002 report by Carlson and Quello (Rose II Report), and from several high schools teachers and administrators that St. Andrew, St. Mary, Westmoreland and St. Ann, represent areas of greatest need.

BMA started its programs by initially focusing on these parishes. As the organization’s revenue pool grows, it is our mission to expand our programs across the island. Other factors used to select the schools are: 1) the ratio of challenged students to the overall student population, 2) availability of support staff in the monitoring and nurturing of the selected students; 3) ease of communication with the support staff by way of the internet, 4) student to teacher ratio, and 5) the level of demand on the schools resources.

Our Focus:
Our current focus is on primary level education with the objective of improving literacy and numeracy among students. Our initial focus is on grades four through six. We intend to assist students in making a successful transition to high school. We will also assist children from Girls and Boys homes and orphanages who attend these primary schools.Our research indicated that we could make significant impact at these grade levels.

We are aware that students’ reading skills are by far the most serious problem that affects their educational advancement. Deficiencies in reading start in the lower primary grades and continue to build. By the time students reach sixth grade, 30% of the group read below their grade level. By ninth grade, a huge divide has occurred—large numbers of students especially boys, cannot read or write, and some are functionally illiterate. These reading deficiencies present serious barriers to learning various subjects, including mathematics.

---------------------------------------------


	Summer Robotics Program: In Summer 2007, BMA in collaboration with Kennesaw State University hosted a threeweek Robotics program for students at Sammy E. Coan Middle School. The program was designed to encourage students to venture into the world of science and technology by designing and programming actual robots. The program was a complete success and had full participation.


	BMA Teamed With Hands On Atlanta On October 6, 2007, BMA participated in Hands on Atlanta project. BMA’s assigned project was “A facelift of the Dunaire Elementary School” which is located on South Indian Creek in Stone Mountain. Over 130 participants volunteered including children and college students from several universities in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Landscaping: Trimmed shrubs and cleaned up flower beds and pathways Building: picnic tables in courtyard Painting: bright color trim in the middle of the entire school’s hallways Arts/crafts: painted four large murals on four main walls; stenciled clipart images in four restrooms

---------------------------------------------


	Scholarships: We award scholarships to cover tuition and fees, school books, lunch, and transportation costs. Students who show academic potential and severe financial need are eligible to be selected by their schools to be participants in our programs. A team consisting of the schools’ guidance counselor, the grade teacher, and the principal conducts the selection. In December 2005, several students at St. Ann’s Bay Primary School were selected as our first recipients for assistance. These scholarships are multi-year awards, until the students graduate, and are dependent upon the availability of funds.


	Teaching/Learning Approach: We work with schools in crafting new approaches teaching/learning for students. This is a combined approach that addresses as many factors as possible that affect students’ learning, and include elements such as peer counseling, mentoring, and additional tutoring combined with accelerated learning. This includes elements developed with significant input and buy-in from the teachers, administrators and students at the school where they are to be implemented. We intend to pilot these programs in a few schools, and based on the success, we will recommend the programs to the Ministry of Education for use in schools islandwide.


	IT Centers of Excellence: Our plans include setting up Technology Centers of Excellence with computers, relevant software, and free access to the internet to afford children opportunities to acquire and improve their information technology, literacy, and numeracy skills. For example, BMA will be providing one hundred donated computers in 2006, to support these centers.

---------------------------------------------


	Institutional Assistance: We work with the elementary schools to acquire supplies to enhance students’ learning experience. Supplies include items such as, Digital Life Projectors, workbooks, supplemental reading books, and white boards.


	BMA Mentoring Program In Jamaica and Atlanta: BMA will be engaged in one-on-one mentoring with school-aged children in Atlanta. By careful selection, we are partnering with other non-profit institutions in Jamaica to identify carefully selected and qualified mentors on the ground with these students.


	In the near future, BMA will further outline its strategic plan to accomplish its short- and long-term projects. For the most part, its initial fund-raising activities will tap into resources from individual donations, corporate foundation, and philanthropic giving programs as well as the local community.

---------------------------------------------