Commitment to Education
Kingston Wharves’ unwavering commitment to nation-building is evidenced by, among other things, a solid partnership with the Union Gardens Christian Academy, an early childhood institution located close to our corporate offices in Newport West, Kingston. We are proud of our association with the Institution and the opportunity it affords to impact both the lives of students and faculty.
Within the last decade, the KWL Group has invested more than $15 Million in the school, supporting physical plant upgrades, equipment acquisitions, annual treats and the certification of staff.
We provided financial support for a full scholarship to Ms. Vanette Smith, Teacher and Vice Principal at the school to attend the Shortwood Teachers’ College to complete certification in Early Childhood Education. This was an important development for the growing institution as the introduction of a formally trained educator moved them a step closer to realizing their goal of total compliance with the requirements of the Early Childhood Commission and the Ministry of Education.
Additionally, the support to the School was significantly increased as part of our 70th anniversary celebrations. KWL collaborated with private and public stakeholders to conceptualise, design, fund, and construct a new school building; a best-in-class early childhood facility, located near Greenwich Farm. The facility features large, airy classrooms with adjoining bathrooms, a spacious auditorium, covered walkway-linked buildings with play areas and landscaped common areas. With the capacity to serve 150 students, the facility more than doubles the capacity of the original Union Gardens Christian Academy, adopted by KWL in 2005.
KWL continues to participate in the life of the School through its membership on the Board of the umbrella stakeholder group – the Union Gardens Foundation, a duly registered charitable organization under the Charities Act. The success of the Union Gardens Project has generated support for the Foundation to replicate the initiative in other communities in Jamaica.
