The NCB Foundation is a non-profit organisation that aims to provide and encourage opportunities for meaningful change and improvement for all Jamaicans. Jamaican Education Initiative (JEI), which is the educational arm of the foundation, is a commitment to building a better Jamaica through education. One per cent of all NCB Keycard purchases is contributed to the JEI in order to carry out the various programmes designed to advance the education agenda in Jamaica.

In 2007, over $100 million was spent on projects assisted by the foundation. Some initiatives that the foundation conceptualised and is currently undertaking are:

NCB Math Project

This is the development of a math syllabus and training materials to assist teachers teaching mathematics at the high school level with the aim of increasing CXC math scores. This three-year, $7 million programme was being implemented in six pilot schools across Kingston and St Andrew and ended in 2007. The Ministry of Education will support programmes that are aimed at increasing numeracy rates in the CSC mathematics examination. The foundation will continue the support by training of teachers teaching mathematics.

Scholarships

For the 2007/2008 school term, the foundation awarded scholarships totalling over $8.5 million to 180 students attending tertiary institutions across Jamaica. In addition, students at the primary and secondary levels were given funding for school fees, boarding fees, books and uniforms totalling over $1.7 million.

CXC Fee Sponsorship

In 2007, phase two of NCB Foundation's fee sponsorship programme was launched. Over $52 million was spent for 45,000 student entries from 153 public secondary schools and 40 independent schools across the island in CXC exams for principles of accounts and principles of business. The motivation for the continued support of this programme was to assist students seeking to pursue a tertiary education to be able to sit at least five of the minimum required CXC subjects to gain entry to tertiary schools.

Other projects

Assistance towards the completion of Excelsior's sixth-form and ninth-grade blocks.

Matching funds programme to rebuild the dean of discipline's office at Immaculate Conception High School. ($2 million)

Renovation of the bathroom and kitchen facilities, upgrading of electrical defects present in classrooms, the upgrading of the outdoor drinking trenches for the McCauley Primary and Junior High School.

Hilton KIDS charity in rebuilding the Ruby Madden Basic School in Old Harbour.

Matching funds programme to build a science block at Ardennes High School.

Hurricane Dean Reconstruction Project for rebuilding infrastructure for 14 secondary schools across Jamaica.

In 2007, the foundation spent over $31.8 million at 79 primary and secondary schools across Jamaica, assisting them to upgrade their infrastructure and in the purchasing of much needed equipment.

Entrepreneurship development

In 2007, the Holy Spirit Foundation, in Maggotty, St Elizabeth, and the Stella Maris Foundation received a combined $4.3 million to purchase computers and equipment that will allow residents in their community to be trained in information technology skills.

The Manchester Chamber of Commerce's Entrepreneurship Training Programme to assist young out-of-work men to develop business plans that would help them achieve success in operating small businesses.

While these are only some of the programmes, the foundation has other ongoing projects. For the future, they will continue to identify strategic partnerships in the development arena. The goal is to become the model for others to emulate and push the concept of corporate citizenship further than it has gone before in Jamaica.