Rotary Club of Negril, JamaicaStudent Scholarship Fund
The Rotary Club of Negril Student Scholarship Fund started with 1 student in 1 school in 2005 and now serves 17 students in 9 schools in Negril, Jamaica with the opportunity for the students to obtain an education that they might not otherwise have.
The students at risk are identified by the schools. Their parents are asked to provide some financial support. Members of the Rotary Club of Negril track the progress of each student.
In 2004 a Moline, Illinois Rotarian visiting the Rotary Club of Negril was informed of the need for a Student Scholarship Fund for their at risk students.
In 2005 a conversation about the Student Scholarship Fund between the Moline Rotarian and a couple from Boston, who were Kiwanis members, lead them to contribute $50 to be taken to the Rotary Club of Negril. The Moline Rotarian, not wanting to be outdone by a Kiwanian, matched the $50 contribution for a total of $100. That was the start of the Student Scholarship Fund.
Over the next 10 years contributions to the Student Scholarship Fund ranged from $100 to $2,000 a year by Moline Rotary and/or individual Rotarians. The contributions were not increasing fast enough to match the needs and they were not consistent from year to year which made long range planning difficult.
Needing to generate additional and more consistent funding, in 2016 the Rotary Club of Negril established the Negril Rotary Foundation Fund, a Donor Advised Fund through the Rotary Foundation, with contributions from their Rotary Club as well as individual Rotarians. The fund was initially established at $10,000 with an anticipated annual withdrawal of 10% a year.
To date, the Student Scholarship Fund has been used to provide uniforms, shoes, books, lunches, etc. for students in preschool, grade school, and middle school with costs ranging from $100 to $250 a year.
Some of the students who were 4 years old 10 years ago are now 14 years old and approaching higher education costs with high school costs of $1,000 to $1,250 a year. Eventually there will be a need for Community College costs of $1,000 to $1,500 a year or College costs of $3,000 to $6,000 a year.
The Rotary Club of Negril hopes to increase the Negril Rotary Foundation Fund in order to provide continuing educational opportunities for the students of Negril, Jamaica for years to come as they progress on their educational journey.
Please visit the “Rotary Club of Negril Facebook” page for more information about the Negril Rotary Foundation Funds Mission Statement, History, Challenges, Going Forward, and Personal Stories & Photos.
To make a tax-deductible contribution to the “Negril Rotary Foundation Fund” Account Number 553, please visit the Rotary Foundation website at www.your-fundaccount.com/rotary/HowToContribute.asp
The Students of Negril, Jamaica Thank You!
Dave Pearson
Twin Rivers Rotary After Hours
dprp72@frontiernet.net