St. Andrew’s Girls Jamaican HS Alumni Launch 30 Day Crowfunding Campaign To Renovate Science Labs

Invest, Inspire, Empower – Because Girls in Science Matter –

Kingston, Jamaica – St. Andrew High School for Girls (St. Andrew or SAHS) in Kingston, Jamaica, urges you to join the Campaign to provide young girls in Jamaica with science education.  The Because Girls in Science Matter Crowdfunding Campaign launches on Sunday,June 1, 2014 and will run for 30 days. The Campaign aims to raise USD$25,000 for the renovation of one of the main science labs at St. Andrew.  Labs on the Old Science Block were originally built in 1944.

Ensuring quality and accessible education for our girls is a pressing issue of the 21st century, and it is especially important for a developing country like Jamaica.  We know that a successful country equally invests in its girls, inspires them to excel, and empowers them to do their best.  Providing quality education begins by ensuring that girls have access to comfortable, user-friendly, and appropriate facilities in which to learn.  For almost 90 years, St. Andrew has been at the forefront of providing high-quality education to girls from across Jamaica.

The Because Girls in Science Matter Crowdfunding Campaign builds on that tradition and will ensure that future generations of girls who come through St. Andrew’s gates at Cecelio Avenue have access to high quality science facilities and instruction.  This Crowdfunding Campaign (http://www.razoo.com/story/St-Andrew-High-Science-Lab-4-Campaign-Because-Girls-In-Science-Matter) is the first of its kind for St. Andrew or for any high school in Jamaica, staying true to the pioneering spirit of St. Andrew and its graduates, fondly called Old Girls.

With the support of an engaged alumnae, parents, and staff St. Andrew has over the past several years been making essential upgrades to its infrastructure which dates back to 1925 when the school was founded.   Renovation of the Old Science Block and its four labs with prep and staff rooms built in 1944 is one of the current projects. The remaining item in the Old Science Block project is the complete renovation of the fourth and largest lab.  Complete renovation requires approximately USD$80,000.

Since 2012, the St. Andrew High School Foundation, which manages the School’s fundraising, endowment, and capital improvement projects, has, through traditional fundraising, raised USD$250,000 and successfully renovated three of the Science Labs in the Old Block. Work on Lab 4 is expected to begin in June 2015.  The time is right to use new platforms and new methods to reach beyond the St. Andrew alumnae and friends network to tap into new networks interested in supporting the St. Andrew mission and plans.  Supporters of the sciences, girls education, girls science education, the advancement of women in science, as well as those who are committed to the development of Jamaica can support the Because Girls in Science Matter Crowdfunding Campaign and be assured that your support will be wisely used to fulfill not only Lab 4’s renovation needs, but also to further the core educational mission of the St. Andrew High School for Girls.

The Campaign is being coordinated, with the St. Andrew Foundation and the St Andrew Alumnae Association Inc, New York Chapter (also called the NYC Chapter), by a group of alumnae from the class of 1998.  Because of the partnership with the NYC Chapter, all donations to the Because Girls in Science Matter Crowdfunding Campaignare tax-deductible in the US.  Donations are therefore also eligible for corporate matching programs.  Donations will be accepted through well-known charity crowdfunding platform Razoo:

http://www.razoo.com/story/St-Andrew-High-Science-Lab-4-Campaign-Because-Girls-In-Science-Matter.

The Because Girls in Science Matter” Crowdfunding Campaignwill feature testimonials from Old Girls who have benefited from the science education offered at St. Andrew.  The Campaign will also feature testimonials from current students, some of whom are benefiting from the renovations of the other three labs.  Their perspectives boldly show how important it is to have quality facilities and how it enriches the learning experience, not only for conducting experiments and learning about the natural world, but also for building confidence.

Join the donors who have helped us to renovate the other three labs to show St. Andrew students that they matter; invest in their future, inspire them with your commitment, and empower them to do their best work.

Old Girl Renee-Lauren Ellis ‘98 heard about the Foundation’s fundraising success with the other three labs and was motivated to rally alumnae around the globe to give. Given the security and flexibility of various crowdfunding platforms, and the fact that other Jamaican institutions (such as the Alpha Boys School radio station and the Crayons Count Campaign Project of the Do Good Jamaica Foundation) have experienced success with crowdfunding, Ellis liaised with Jessica Jones of the St. Andrew Foundation and gathered a team of her classmates to plan and launch the “Because Girls in Science Matter” Crowdfunding Campaign.

Ellis notes, “In addition to our positive personal experiences in science at St. Andrew, our research confirmed that effective teaching and learning of science involves seeing, handling, and manipulating real objects and materials.” In fact, one source asserts that the knowledge the girls attain in classrooms would be ineffectual unless they actually observe the process and understand the relationship between action and reaction (Science First). This fund-raising campaign will not only provide money for Lab 4’s renovation, but it will free up the school’s limited budget for other expenses, such as field trips, teachers’ salaries, and even non-science related activities to ensure that a St. Andrew graduate is a well-rounded young lady.