Western J’ca students to receive 3-year educational support

Global Humanity Network (GHN) Inc is set to launch a three-year educational support initiative aimed at helping vulnerable students overcome barriers that can disrupt their schooling.

The programme, dubbed ‘Beyond the Backpack’, will be formally introduced on August 11 at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, where educators, corporate partners, community representatives and supporters are expected to gather for the launch.

The initiative will begin with an inaugural cohort of 10 Grade Four students drawn from primary schools in Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Hanover and Trelawny. Each participant will receive support valued at roughly US$2,000 per year over a three-year period, providing continued assistance as they prepare for the transition to secondary education.

According to GHN, the programme is designed to address not only educational needs but also the broader social and economic challenges that can affect a child’s ability to learn and remain in school.

“A child’s future should never be determined by the barriers they face,” said Dr Laxley W. Stephenson, founder, president and chief executive officer of Global Humanity Network Inc. “Talent is universal, but opportunity is not. Beyond the Backpack represents our commitment to removing barriers, preserving dignity, and ensuring that every participating student has someone who believes in them and is prepared to walk beside them.”

Stephenson, a native of Westmoreland, said the programme is built around four pillars: access, stability, advancement and sustainability.

The access component will provide transportation assistance, uniforms, footwear and educational supplies, while the stability pillar is intended to address issues such as nutrition and emergency hardships that may affect school attendance.

Advancement will focus on mentorship, tutoring, academic monitoring, leadership development and collaboration with families and schools. Sustainability, meanwhile, seeks to strengthen partnerships, organisational capacity and accountability to ensure students receive support throughout the programme.

GHN said Beyond the Backpack differs from traditional school-supplies drives because it is structured as a long-term intervention rather than a one-time distribution exercise. The organisation said the programme will emphasise educational continuity, student retention, personal development and measurable outcomes.

The launch event will also outline the programme’s mentoring framework and plans for national expansion.

GHN said its long-term objective is to extend Beyond the Backpack to all 14 parishes, enabling more students to benefit from sustained educational and developmental support.

“When barriers are removed, potential is revealed,” Stephenson added. “Together, we can sponsor a student, support a future, strengthen a nation, and go beyond the backpack.”