The Insurance Company of the West Indies (ICWI) is encouraging its customers’ children at the primary, preparatory and high school levels to nominate a teacher who has helped them through the challenges of COVID so that their teachers can be recognised for their dedication to their students. This Teacher’s Day, May 4th, three (3) teachers will receive a cash award from the ICWI’s ‘Teachers Change the World’ campaign.
After two (2) years of navigating the online environment, ICWI remembers the sacrifices made by teachers who had to find new ways of teaching remotely and, in some instances, made trips to students’ homes to drop off learning resources to ensure there was limited learning loss. Even though students are now back in school, teachers have an uphill battle, juggling the stresses and anxiety of COVID exposure to managing the anxiety being felt by so many of their students. ICWI thinks that this year’s Teacher’s Day provides an opportunity to recognise teachers who have worked tirelessly without any plans for recognition but who have dedicated their lives to educating our children out of sheer love and commitment for their students.
Samantha Samuda, Vice President, Marketing and Human Resources, explains that the Teacher’s Day campaign is just one way that ICWI wants to thank Jamaican teachers for helping our children through one of the most difficult times that our children have faced to date.
“As a local company, we are big on national development, and as a family company, we are a huge supporter of our nation’s children. Any opportunity to recognise the extraordinary work of Jamaicans who contribute to the development of our children and, by extension, our country is welcomed by us. As a parent myself, I have seen first-hand the challenges our teachers have faced and the amazing work they have been doing through these difficult times. ICWI wishes to show its appreciation in a meaningful way,” says Samuda.
The Campaign
The insurance company launched its Teacher’s Day campaign to appreciate teachers’ work in recent times. Their customers’ children submitted a photo of their nominated teacher and a 100-word story sharing how their teacher helped them through the pandemic.
In addition to the cash award for the teachers, the students who nominated the top teachers will each receive a book voucher valued at $20,000.
“The decision to reward the students was a no-brainer for us as we understand that our students are also recovering, and this gesture will assist them in their educational pursuits,” shares Samuda.
Nominations closed on April 24, 2022.
More information on the ICWI’s ‘Teachers Change the World’ campaign can be found at the ICWI’s Facebook and Instagram pages @icwi_jamaica.
