JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation seeks to empower students

The JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation through its LIFE Accelerator Programme is providing holistic support to deserving students. In addition, the foundation awarded over J$17 million in scholarships and bursaries to high school and tertiary students for the 2025–26 academic year, reaffirming its commitment to nation-building through education.

A key feature of the LIFE Accelerator Programme – Leadership, Involvement & Innovation, Financial Literacy, Education – is its focus on well-rounded development. Thirty-two tertiary scholars benefit from in-person workshops, online content, and community engagement activities, including Conversations for Greatness, career alignment coaching, financial literacy training, and volunteer opportunities such as Read Across Jamaica.

First introduced in 2021, the programme continues to distinguish the foundation’s approach to educational support by offering experiences that go far beyond financial aid.

“This programme is designed to nurture the whole person,” said Kim Mair, CEO of the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation. “We anticipate that the LIFE Accelerator Programme will empower our scholars to become not only successful professionals, but also compassionate leaders and changemakers in their communities. It’s about creating a ripple effect of greatness.”

Among this year’s recipients is Nicola Powell, a final-year student at the Caribbean Maritime University, pursuing a BSc in Border Operations and Management.

Powell said: “It gave me the drive I needed to continue doing well academically and professionally. I want to build on the legacy that Joan Duncan set forward.” A devoted mother, she credits her faith and her son as her greatest motivations and expressed deep gratitude to the Foundation for helping her live her dream.

This year’s awards were also supported by donation from the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ), which funded two scholarships covering tuition and school-related expenses.

A full list of this year’s scholarship recipients and their courses of study was shared at the ceremony. Areas of study include education, business, social work, marketing, criminology, and maritime operations, reflecting the Foundation’s commitment to supporting Jamaica’s development across diverse fields.

The foundation’s scholarship initiative, detailed at joanduncanfoundation.org, is rooted in the values of love, openness, honesty, integrity, and care, championed by the late Joan Duncan, co-founder of the JMMB Group. It supports academically capable, community-minded students, with a focus on final-year undergraduates.