A new strategic multi-year partnership aimed at boosting student growth and school capacity has been launched after the NCB Foundation signed a landmark memorandum of understanding with Jamaica’s Old Harbour High School. This collaboration marks the latest addition to the foundation’s flagship Stuart Reid Adopt-a-School Programme, an initiative launched in 2021 designed to foster long-term, targeted support for educational institutions across the country, with all collaborations aligned to shared priorities, verified community needs and committed resourcing.
The partnership traces its origin to an unplanned visit to the campus by NCB Financial Group Limited Chairman Michael Lee-Chin and his senior leadership team, where a surprising on-the-ground experience reshaped the chairman’s initial expectations and sparked the collaboration. “I walked onto the campus anticipating the typical chaos often associated with large public high schools, but what I encountered instead was a culture of strict discipline and a widespread dedication to upholding high academic standards,” Lee-Chin shared in an official media statement from the foundation. “After reflecting on what I saw, I recognized this as a model institution that every school across Jamaica should look to as an example. That is what motivated us to reach out to the school’s leadership to formalize a partnership, which we have now solidified with this MOU.”
Under the direction of Principal Lynton Weir, Old Harbour High School has already carved out a strong reputation for its disciplined campus culture and forward-thinking academic approach. The school has broken from traditional norms by allowing students to sit key national examinations as early as Grade 8, and it has also prioritized professional growth for its support staff, offering access to evening classes and certification opportunities through Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects.
Weir welcomed the new partnership, emphasizing its potential to accelerate the school’s long-term strategic development goals. “Our entire community has worked tirelessly over the years to build an institution that is worthy of investment,” Weir said. “This collaboration opens the door to joint work that will further improve student achievement and overall institutional performance, and in doing so, help build a brighter future for all of Jamaica.”
Per the terms of the MOU, the NCB Foundation and the school will first work together to conduct a full needs assessment to identify high-priority areas for potential investment. Possible areas of support include campus infrastructure upgrades, expanded financial literacy programming, targeted student development projects, as well as new scholarship offerings and structured internship pathways for qualifying students. All support will be subject to mutual agreement, formal assessment, and compliance with the programme’s established requirements.
Thalia Lyn, chair of the NCB Foundation, explained that the initiative’s model is built on intentional partnership rather than top-down intervention. “We always prioritize partnering with institutions that are already doing the work to improve outcomes for their students and community,” Lyn noted. “Any support we provide is rooted in shared goals, clear accountability, proven readiness, and a demonstrated ability to deliver tangible results.”
To date, the NCB Foundation has injected more than 2 billion Jamaican dollars into education and community development projects across the island, making it one of the most active private philanthropic organizations in the country’s education sector. The Adopt-a-School Programme itself was named to honor the legacy of Stuart Reid, a former board director of the NCB Foundation who played a key role in designing and launching the initiative before his passing.