CATALYST Mission Relationship
CATALYST is the mission relationship between the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Columbus, Ohio in the United States, Grace and Staff Community Development Foundation and the communities of downtown Kingston, Jamaica founded in 1996 by Heather Biggers.
CATALYST works to provide educational opportunities to college bound students from the garrison communities of downtown Kingston, particularly Parade Gardens.
How did CATALYST began?
CATALYST founder, Heather Biggers, was a frequent visiting tourist to Jamaica in the early to mid 1990s. After several visits to the island, she realized, that as a woman of faith, she could no longer visit the island if she did not “give back.” She volunteered at the Kingston Restoration Company (KRC) Teen Center on Higholborn Street, and from that she met some of the students who are in college today because of her.
In 1996, she created CATALYST, a weeklong leadership program for student from Kingston and Columbus. Thirteen students and adults traveled from Kingston to Columbus to interact in a weeklong leadership program. Her church, First Congregational, later became involved, and the programme blossomed.
Team CATALYST works with Jamaican Scholars and their families by:
- Raising funds to award scholarships to 24 secondary students to continue their education – as middle school is not free in Jamaica
- Providing text books and SAT study guides
- Covering costs for SAT testing fees, college applications, airfare to the United States and related educational expenses
- Providing workshops and assistance to help students learn how to prepare for college
- Mentoring the students
- Providing educational portfolio building
- Advising and assisting students in sourcing identifying and securing scholarships