The Rockhouse Foundation is committed to improving the human condition of Jamaica's children. The Foundation combats endemic poverty at its core through capital projects that transform learning environments, programs that support child development, and partnerships that leverage the knowledge and experience of the great people working with Jamaica's children.

At the Negril All Age School the results of our capital investment are palpable. Thirty years ago Negril's only public elementary school served just 100 students, many of them children of fishermen and farmers whose simple lifestyle had defined the community for generations. By 2004, the school enrolled over 500 children, a five-fold increase reflecting Negril's growth as a tourist destination and magnet for thousands of Jamaicans seeking steady work. And yet the physical plant had literally stood still in time. In 2004, the newly formed Rockhouse Foundation charitable arm of the Rockhouse Hotel began its work on a complete renovation and expansion of the school. This has included the construction of new classroom space and cafeteria, expanding the library and technology center, creating playing fields and developing long term programs geared at elevating the quality of education and life each student receives.

The success of this initial project led to a second project with the Negril Basic School which serves children ages three through five and is the primary feeder for the Negril All Age School. For many years, sub-standard roofing, poor structural integrity, wiring and furniture were a discouraging backdrop to hundreds of children's first introduction to school. During the summer of 2005, the Foundation substantially renovated and improved upon the basic school facilities finishing in time to welcome students in the fall. Since then, the relationship has expanded to include supplemental operational support such as school supplies, educational material and assistance underwriting personnel to improve student-teacher ratios.

The Foundation is now looking ahead to a new major capital project involving the expansion and renovation of the Negril Library, scheduled for completion in early spring, 2008. Located adjacent to the schools, the Library serves many current and former students, local high school students and community residents. The library's footprint will almost triple in size and will include a new computer facility, an expanded work area for student projects and workshops; many new, updated titles and a larger, more inviting junior library section. The new space will be a much needed resource for children of all ages and reflects the Foundation's ambition to support learning for children.

The Rockhouse Foundation is a New York based, IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Rockhouse Hotel and its owners, in addition to being key donors to the Foundation, underwrite all of the Foundation's administrative expenses. Every cent of every donation goes directly to Jamaicans in need. Since 2004, the Rockhouse Foundation and Rockhouse Hotel have donated over US$500,000 in fulfilling its mandate by efficiently delivering expertise, goods, services, and capital to those who are most in need. The Foundation is committed to treating not just the symptoms but also the causes of poverty.

"The community is looking at the school in a different light. Even children who would not have wanted to come here are now looking at the school. Jamaican families do value education. Everybody wants their children to move a step higher."
Beverley Wedderburn, Principal, Negril All Age School

"I get up in the morning and I feel good about coming to the school, this transformation means a lot to the local community, everybody is talking about it."
Fiona Vassell, Teacher, Negril All Age School