Junior Achievement Jamaica thanks teachers

Junior Achievement Jamaica will honour 14 teachers as part of its annual Champions for Youth Awards banquet on May 29. Today, we highlight three of these great teachers.

• Kenesha Kerr - Inspiring young minds

St Mary

Kerr's entry into teaching was not by chance as she knew she knew she wanted to enter the profession after being inspired by her eleventh-grade teacher at Merl Grove High in St Andrew. With this conviction, she wasted no time in pursing a bachelor of business education degree at the Mico University College.

With less than two years in the classroom, Kenesha Kerr is already making a remarkable impact on the students at St Mary High, where she teaches principles of accounts, electronic document preparation, and management and law.

"My most rewarding experience thus far was when a student returned months after receiving his CXC results just to say 'thank you for not giving up on me'," she said.

Kerr praises her students, indicating that they are "effective" and "focused". She said that this commitment inspired her to take on the challenge of bringing them through the Junior Achievement Company of Entrepreneurs (JACE) programme. She believes the programme has contributed to improving their knowledge of business operations and has helped to prepare them for the world of work.

"They developed good time-management skills and good customer-relations skills."

Kerr is no stranger to helping others excel. While attending Merl Grove, she demonstrated commitment to service in the development of her community. This led to her receiving several awards including the Merl Grove Citizenship Award and Cadet of the Year.

A member of the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force and a recipient of the Duke of Edinburgh award, Kerr believes that "youth should become active seekers, users, and creators of knowledge".

"My vision is for all youth to get a tertiary education and contribute positively to their school community and the wider society," she asserted.

• Robert Grant - Sculpting Leaders

St Thomas

Robert Grant believes teaching should involve much more than what is in the textbooks. This has led to him taking a practical approach to teaching and training students since entering the profession in 2011. A graduate in fine art sculpture at the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, Grant teaches design arts, theatre arts, and entrepreneurship to students from grades seven to eleven at Yallahs High School in St Thomas.

Grant, a past student of Yallahs High himself, is certain that he is making a positive contribution to the lives of the students. The positive feedback and gratitude of his former pupils are enough to convince him that he is making a difference in their lives. He expressed that the Junior Achievement Teacher Champion for Youth Award is further affirmation of his commitment to educating students.

"I am humbled and honored to be selected. It motivates me to keep doing my best and continue on the path of being original and resourceful," he said.

Given his hands-on approach to learning, Grant did not hesitate to accept the task of leading the JACE programme at Yallahs High in 2012. He explained that the programme has added value to all his classes, as he can better relate what happens in businesses as he teaches students about logo development, creating their own brand and slogan, and developing an entertaining advertisement.

According to Grant, the JACE programme at Yallahs High is a perfect fit for the students.

"The students are very business-minded," he indicated, noting that they have inspired him to create his own business, "I saw this as an opportunity to work with our young people and contribute to the development of the community."

In addition to his other duties, Grant is the cultural ambassador and coordinator for a joint initiative between Sankofa Freedom Academy in Philadelphia and Yallahs High. This provides an opportunity for students of Yallahs to receive specialised assistance in their weaker academic areas, while sharing in cultural-exchange activities with students visiting from Sakofa.

• Sandra Panton - The undisputed champion

Portland

Sandra Panton is no stranger to junior achievement having received the Junior Achievement Teacher Champion for Youth Award for the parish of Portland in 2013. Additionally, she is a product of junior achievement, having participated in the Junior Achievement Company Programme in 1994 as a student at Happy Grove High School in Portland. Panton's commitment to junior achievement is rooted in her belief of its role in helping students develop good work ethics needed for the world of work.

"I liked the idea that students are given a chance to be exposed to the real world while being at high school," Panton affirmed.

With 10 years of experience in the classroom, she is still on a mission to play her part in helping students optimise their potential. In addition to teaching housekeeping skills, office administration, food and nutrition, and home and family management, she still finds time to lead the Junior Achievement programme and co-lead the 4H and environmental awareness clubs at Happy Grove High. Her drive for going beyond the call of duty comes from witnessing the success of her students.

"While teaching at an infant school, there was this boy who could not formulate letters. One day, while assisting another student, he called me to show me letters he had just written in his book. I was so happy, I broke down in tears," she explained.

In spite of her numerous roles at work, Panton is an active member of the Manchioneal Community Club and was also appointed as the Jamaica-Canada Youth Programme ambassador.

JAJ is a non-profit, non-government organisation, partnering with the Ministry of Education and the United States Agency for International Development to deliver practical programmes aimed at preparing students, ages 5-24, for the global economy. JAJ will honour 14 teachers as part of its annual Champions for Youth Awards banquet on May 29. For more information, please contact JAJ via phone: 632-3572 or email: info@jajamaica.org.