HEART partners with TPDCo, SAMC, NEPM Waste Management Ltd under TPDCo’s Environmental Sustainability Initiative (ESI) to partnership brings 33 new garbage receptacles to Ocho Rios
To Learn More About HEART’s strategic partnership in beautifying our local communities Click Here to Read the Full Jamaica Observer News Article
HEART/NSTA Trust Launches BRIDGE Project to Train 200 Youth from Hurricane Affected Communities
An Excerpt of an article shared by the Jamaica Information Service (JIS).
The HEART/NSTA Trust, on February 17, launched the Building Resilience and Inspiring Development through Guided Experience (BRIDGE) Project, which aims to provide structured on the job training for 200 youth from communities devastated by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025.
The BRIDGE Project targets unemployed and at risk youth between the ages of 18 and 25 who have exited the formal education system and have been identified by local social service agencies as being at high risk of long term unemployment, crime, or social exclusion.
It also prioritises young people who lack stable family support or who may be experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity as a result of the hurricane.
Courtleigh Hospitality Celebrates Inaugural Class
Read more on the Jamaica Observer’s website
Graduates of the Courtleigh Hospitality Group Academy celebrate their achievements during a ceremony on Friday, January 30, 2026, at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston. The initiative provides staff from both the Courtleigh and Jamaica Pegasus hotels with the opportunity to earn professional certifications, fostering significant career development. Fifty-four members of staff successfully completed the Level 3 Supervisory Management Diploma Programme, delivered in partnership with HEART/NSTA Trust. Joining the celebrations were (seated, from second left): Melissa Hendrickson McGrane, Courtleigh Hospitality Group (CHG) director; Roxann Anderson-Barnaby, Jamaica Pegasus human resources manager; Dr Taneisha Ingleton, HEART/NSTA managing director; Kate Hendrickson-Chin, Courtleigh Hotel general manager; Nicola Madden-Greig, CHG sales and marketing director; and Brian Sang, Jamaica Pegasus general manager.Garfield Robinson
Deaf Entrepreneur Eyes Career with Furry Friends
An Excerpt of an article shared by the Jamaica Star.
Paris Guthrie is working toward establishing a sustainable rabbit farming enterprise, driven by a clear vision of independence, long-term growth, and inclusion.
The 21-year-old, who is deaf, is using agriculture as a pathway to economic empowerment, supported by training and mentorship through the HEART/NSTA Trust Incubator Programme.
Paris Guthrie: Fledgling Agripreneur on the Rise, Building a Legacy in Rabbit Farming
An Excerpt of an article shared by the Jamaica Information Service (JIS).
“After graduating, I was staying at home, trying to figure out what’s next. Then this opportunity came. I was just excited,” Ms. Guthrie says.
Having successfully completed a series of training initiatives with the HEART/NSTA Trust during her tenure as a CCCD student, she was identified as a strong candidate for the Incubator Programme.
HEART Gave Me A Start: The Mikayla Salmon Story
“Fashion has been ingrained in my DNA; I believe it is an inborn gift.” This is how Mikayla Salmon describes her lifelong passion for fashion. That passion took root in childhood, sparked by watching her grandmother skilfully sew curtains. By the age of eight, Mikayla was
already creating clothes for her dolls on a semi-industrial treadle sewing machine, an early sign of a future designer in the making.
After leaving high school, she was encouraged to pursue formal training and in 2016, enrolled at the HEART/NSTA Garmex Academy. There, Mikayla not only refined her technical skills as a designer but also gained valuable knowledge in operating a successful fashion business.
Today, Mikayla Salmon is an emerging designer whose talent has already earned national and international recognition. Her
achievements include winning the 2025 JCDC Visual Arts Competition for Fashion (Clarendon), the 2018 Campari Pop Style
Fashion Competition (Kingston & St Catherine) and becoming a designer for one of the world’s most globally recognised fashion
brands, SHEIN. Mikayla credits her training at HEART for shaping her into a more disciplined and detail-oriented designer, while also building her confidence, assertiveness and belief in her own abilities.
Discover more about our programmes and be inspired by Mikayla’s journey.
Sowing Success: HEART/NSTA Trust and Jamaica 4-H Clubs Reap Big Wins Through Rural Youth Economic Empowerment
Over the past three years, a powerful partnership between the HEART/NSTA Trust and the Jamaica 4-H Clubs has transformed the lives of hundreds of young Jamaicans through the Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (RYEEP), a national initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of agriculture entrepreneurs.
Launched in 2022, RYEEP was borne out of a shared vision: to empower young people in rural communities with tangible skills, resources, and opportunities to thrive in Jamaica’s evolving agricultural economy. The initiative was built to support young people, particularly those aged 18 to 35, through a comprehensive programme combining technical training, business development, coaching, mentorship, and venture financing.