FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jamaica College Old Boys Association of New York hosts Griffin Awards™️ at Manhattan Gala
Minister of Science, Energy & Technology Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley headlines an outstanding cast of honorees
New York, NY, 12 May 2018 – The Jamaica College Old Boys Association of New York, Inc. (JCOBA-NY) will host the Griffin Awards, its annual fund-raising event, Saturday, 9 June 2018, at the SVA Theater in Manhattan. The affair is under the distinguished patronage of Her Excellency, Ambassador Audrey Marks.
The Griffin Awards™️ (The Griffys™️) celebrates the achievements of Jamaicans and Friends of Jamaica in the arts, sciences, business, politics and community service. A screening of Trevor Rhone's iconic film, Smile Orange headlines the dynamic entertainment package. Members of the Rhone family will be in attendance to present the film.
Ms. Trudy Deans, Consul General for New York will lead NY-based luminaries in attendance. Main honoree and keynote speaker is Dr. the Hon. Andrew Wheatley, Minister of Science, Energy and Technology. Minister Wheatley will receive the Technology Leadership award for his achievements as a scientist, inventor and policy leader.
Details of the event program can be found at https://www.thegriffys.org
Commenting on the event's significance, Carl Bennett, President of JCOBA-NY remarked, “The Griffin Awards is a very special annual event for JCOBA-NY, where we honor some of the most deserving members of our community for their tireless contributions in enriching the lives of our citizenry. The gala offers extraordinary entertainment value, while helping us to fund STEM applications and spark innovation which advances workforce development in the Jamaica.”
Leveraging its critically acclaimed robotics project at Jamaica College introduced in 2009, JCOBA-NY is now partnered with the Ministry of Education in implementing STEM applications throughout the school system. The current highlights:
International robotics competition will be available to any secondary school in Jamaica as of March, 2019
JCOBA-NY is working with over 20 secondary schools in Jamaica on equipping robotics labs and training
The MoE is cooperating with JCOBA-NY on equipping all its 9 STEM Academies with robotics capability
Software coding programs are being trialed with a view to perfecting approaches to a countrywide rollout
"The Griffys offers JCOBA-NY the opportunity to highlight the fact that our mission has shifted from merely assisting our alma mater, to one of sparking national development via upgrading our future workforce with 21st century skills. We're building an international coalition to make this happen through Project TEAM Works" said Lowell Campbell – Chairman of the Board of Advisers.
CONTACT: info@jcobany.org I +1 (212) 602-1374
Founded in 1795, Jamaica College is a prominent high school in Jamaica with a proud record of service to Jamaican society. Its graduates have an unmatched history of nation-building, creating key Jamaican institutions in politics, civil service, business, culture and social services. http://jamaicacollege.org/
Since 1990 JCOBA-NY has supported educational and extracurricular programs at Jamaica College through project design, fundraising and technical assistance. JCOBA-NY is a NYS registered, tax exempt charitable organization under Section 501 (c) (3) of the IRS tax code.