Keystone Bank National Scholars Scheme
Background
The Keystone Bank National Scholars Scheme (carried over
from former Platinum Bank) focuses on the pro-active orientation and
training of the coming generation as the basis for change. This also
celebrates the few who continue to stick to the positives that build a
society.
This approach employs positive role models (who embody the
required values) from all walks of life to speak with these audiences
in their natural habitat and among their peer group.
The key messages revolve around the choices and effects
available to every young person and how they must measure these.
Target Audiences: The primary target audiences are the
indigent youths at the secondary school level with their enthusiasm for
life and impressionable minds. The parents and the larger community
will, naturally be affected by this programme.
Structure: The structure is such that all our branches are
able to interact with and mentor students in schools chosen in their
locations.
Duration: This is a lifetime project that will draw
instant and continuing interest and effects all over. The rub-off effect
on the present generation is that emphasis begins to shift away from
the negative to the positive.
The Programme
The programme has three facets:
* Motivational Series
* Mind Development
* Mentoring Scheme
The Motivational Series
Positive attitudes bring success: good, sustainable
success. This is the fulcrum of the motivational series, which utilizes
popular and respected national figures that have achieved success by
dint of those same desired positive attitudes.
These carefully selected role models speak with the youths
in their natural environments-schools, neighbour-hoods and youth groups
on inspirational events where questions are sincerely treated and
experiences shared.
Driven by the power of positive words and inspirations,
this facet will change the lives of many Nigerian youths. The models
will be drawn from across all walks of life.
Mind Development
Knowledge builds the mind, to overcome the obstacles and
challenges that are part of everyday life. More than ever before, the
country is in dire need of building the intellectual capabilities of its
people.
This will be achieved by equipping our select students
with the necessary tools to be champions and world-beaters in all
spheres of life by turning their focus to the power of a well developed
and nourished mind.
No other place embodies this power than the library.
Hence, the love for the library, the regular use of the library, the
companionship of books, and the usage of its products is the second
facet of the Keystone Bank National Scholars scheme.
From building libraries, to providing reasonable comfort,
to the provision of modern and appropriate books, and the psychological
attraction to reading itself, Keystone Bank National Scholars will
continuously seek to build the mind of this generation.
The Mentoring Scheme
These twin approaches, inspiration and practical
provision, are driven by a strong human interaction through the
mentoring programme where willing members of staff mentor indigent
students within their immediate localities.
A broad range of mentoring activities including
discussions, counseling, teaching, picnics, book gifts, industrial
visits, etc. are executed to change the students’ lives for the better.
Implementation
The scheme was officially launched on Wednesday February
11, 2004 with 100 indigent students in five public schools - Eko Akete
Grammar School, Victoria Island Secondary School, Government College
Maroko, Ikeja High School and Agboju Secondary School as beneficiaries.
For these students, we pay all levies and exam fees, provide them with
uniforms, sandals and school bags, in addition to monthly stipends to
ensure that they are not distracted from academic pursuit due to
unavailable finances.
Modern libraries, each with a sitting capacity of over
seventy students, have been re-constructed under the Mind Development
series in each of the five schools benefiting from the pilot scheme. The
libraries have been equipped with relevant books in all the key
subjects while individual books have been purchased and distributed to
all the benefiting students in all subject areas.
Apart from the natural effect of positively engaging the
minds and intellects of otherwise idle students, the libraries built and
equipped in the five schools are intended to bring back the reading
culture in our public schools, just like it was in the good old days.
The choice of public schools is a direct response to their parlous
state.
Conclusion
Only a thinking Bank could have thought of this comprehensive programme and muster the courage to see it through.
For most of the students, tertiary education is a tall
dream. Keystone Bank National Scholars Scheme for once has put their
destiny in their own hands. Not many would want the opportunity to slip
by.
Indeed, two years after full implementation of the
Keystone Bank National Scholars’ Scheme began, it is already impacting
positively on the lives of the beneficiaries.
Issa Wasiu for instance has just gained admission into
University of Ilorin. When the scheme was launched in 2004, Issa was
already in SS3, final year, in Agboju Secondary School. Born of an
indigent carpenter father, Issa had no textbooks to read in preparation
for the Senior School Certificate Examination. He was just hoping that
his father can come up with the N5, 000 NECO fees. As Head boy of the
School, Issa thought it would be embarrassing if he cannot come out with
good grades in his final examinations.
Just then the Bank came knocking and Issa’s problems have
been solved. Once supplied the books in Chemistry, Physics, Biology,
Mathematics, English and other subjects, he vowed to justify the
investment in his life. Today Issa’s results have been released, and it
is remarkably impressive. Of the nine subjects he enrolled for in the
SSCE, he had distinctions in Mathematics, Agricultural Science, Biology,
Chemistry, Physics, and Yoruba language. The others were credit passes.
His JAMB result was not any different as he now studies Engineering at
University of Ilorin, on a five-year scholarship, courtesy of Keystone
Bank National Scholars Scheme.
In the last decade, leading organizations the world over,
have increasingly adopted the social responsibility imperative as the
win-win approach for all concerned. Keystone Bank is setting the pace
for organizations in Nigeria.
The future of the corporate - societal symbiotic
relationship will find its face in Keystone Bank’s groundbreaking
exemplary commitment to our common good.
Keystone Bank becomes a partner to the British Council’s IYCE
initiative which identifies and rewards talented, young (ages 25 to 35)
and creative entrepreneurs working across the vast spectrum of the
creative world.
We have always been convinced that Nigeria’s future
belongs to an educated work force and an emergent crop of leaders who
will come up with innovative contributions to national development.
Signing on as sponsors of the YCEI is in consonance
with Keystone Bank’s long-standing acknowledgment of the wealth of
talent existing in the Nigerian creative economy. In addition, it
enables empowerment of young Nigerians to achieve their creative
entrepreneurial dreams by providing them with much-needed and often
critical financial support.
The choice of Keystone Bank is informed by the
embassy’s recognition of the bank’s commitment to capacity building as
well as to extending the frontiers of education, leadership and
innovation.
The Fulbright programme, established in 1946 under
legislation introduced by Senator J. William Fulbright, is traditionally
sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US
Department of State. In its over 50 years history, 267,500 scholars –
about 6, 000 annually - have benefited from the Fulbright fellowship:
100,900 from the US, and the remaining 166,600 from other countries
around the globe.
The Fulbright Scholarship is the US government’s most
prestigious scholarship and past alumni include distinguished global
icons like respected writers Chinua Achebe and Maya Angelou, renowned
diplomats like Hans Blix, Boutros Boutros Ghali and Javier Solano as
well as world leaders like Fernando Cardoso and Ingvar Carlsson of
Brazil and Sweden respectively.
In August 2007, Dr. Abubakar Momoh, a Senior lecturer at the
Lagos State University departed Nigeria for a research stint at UCLA
under the aegis of the Fulbright – Keystone Bank Scholarship programme.
The Keystone Bank National Scholars Scheme
focuses on the pro-active orientation and training of the youth as the
basis for change in various communities where the Bank conducts
business. Over the years, the scheme has established educational
intervention projects with libraries being built and stocked, and
scholarships being awarded to various pupils in various states of the
Federation.
Keystone Bank partnered with the Inoyo Toro Foundation (ITF)
an NGO, and foremost education foundations in Nigeria, Headstart IT, a
Curriculum Developer with the NCC of Britain, and other project partners
to expand the National Scholars and National Library Schemes to include
ICT Centres, with the aim to educate as many pupils as possible over
the next 5 years.
As a pilot, and in partnership with the Akwa Ibom State
Government, four Schools with Keystone Bank Libraries namely: Cornelia
Connelly College, Afagha Oku; Independence High School, Ikot Ntuen;
Methodist Boys High School, Oron and Salvation Army Secondary School,
Akai Ubium; were upgraded to include ICT Centres. Each school was
provided with 30 computers, all year round Internet Service, Generators
and the NCC Curriculum resources for over 1000 pupils in Akwa Ibom
State.
It is the hope that this project would impact society
positively, while contributing to the elimination of computer
illiteracy.
The Keystone Bank National Library Scheme
provides libraries in various schools as part of its Corporate Social
Responsibility.
Having weighed the plight of many government secondary
schools in various states in terms of educational materials and
facilities, Keystone Bank designed the National Schools Library Scheme
to support various communities nation-wide and impact society, by
providing fully stocked libraries for students.
The Scheme integrates a holistic initiative to uplift the
standards of education in community structures in the six geo-political
zones of the Federation.
Keystone Bank works with the officials responsible for
education in the states to provide access to education and mind
development for the indigent students.
Specifically, the National Schools Library Project offers the following;
1. Construction of School Library
2. Stocking of the library with textbooks in line with the National/State Curriculum.
3. Advocacy and community engagement for support of the project initiatives.
4. Award of scholarships to students in the schools based on set criteria.
5. Sponsorship of capacity building initiatives including seminars, excursions and training.
It is the hope that these initiatives will transform our communities.