Jose Garcia

Twenty-three women entrepreneurs presented homemade foodstuffs and tailored clothes at Merida, Yucatan. This product showcase marks the completion of their training under the program “Women discovering their potential ”implemented by The Trust for the Americas through the VIVE project and CREA Community of social entrepreneurs AC. During the awards ceremony, Maria Alejandra Barrios, Communications Officer of the VIVE Project, reiterated the commitment of The Trust for the Americas to boost the economy of women in Mexico. Also, she recalled that “VIVE” started in 2016 with the support of Walmart Foundation, and as of 2020, more than 60,000 people including 52,000 women have been benefited, which 52 thousand are women. With this training, women “currently have the tools to encourage businesses and strengthen their economic empowerment. This will benefit not only them but also their families and communities,” Maria Barrios stated.   Antonio Gonzalez Blanco, General Director of Yucatecan Entrepreneurship Institute, highlighted the partnership with CREA and VIVE project as an active force motivating the development of women in the state. Likewise, Gonzalez Blanco recalled that the IYEM (Yucatecan Entrepreneur Institute) offers more services which the graduates may use, such as trademark registration and design of nutritional information charts, among others. Let’s talk investment with gender perspective Pro Mujer, the implementing partner of the VIVE project, organized the first edition of Gender Lens Investing Forum Latin America (GLI Forum Latam), in which The Trust for the America was a media partner. The event gathered around 100 people (majority women) to analyze the challenges, good practices and generate solutions to boost investment with a gender perspective, also known as the gender lens. Klaudia Gonzalez, the National Coordinator of project VIVE, moderated the roundtable “How gender violence affects company investments,” and concluded it is necessary to develop mechanisms to measure violence in companies and encourage training about prevention of violence against women among employers, directors, and funders. “Investment decision-makers in these companies must be trained and conscious about the situation that women face in the labor force. In this way, there will be a cumulative effect on the solutions.” Klaudia Gonzalez explained. Maria Fernanda Sierra, The Trust for the Americas Project Manager of VIVE, participated in the roundtable “Landscape of investment with a gender perspective: where are the gaps and what can we do to close them?”, and “talked about the importance of breaking down the steps investors perceive to find barriers and solutions in every phase. Also, about the value of addressing gender in a diverse way beyond women” explained. Furthermore, she said that “one of the best ways of finding solutions is to analyze if our companies or organizations having gender perspective or not, from there we can generate progress. Another relevant topic during the GLI Forum Latam was sexual and reproductive health with entrepreneur and gender perspective, for this roundtable Ursula Sanchez, Consultant of Economic Opportunities of VIVE, participated. Ursula shared the thought that “we need to be capable of measure the intangible benefits that investment with gender perspective may bring in terms of sexual and reproductive rights. It is necessary to create an investment fund network with a gender perspective in Mexico and provide technical assistance to investors to avoid unconscious biases”. GLI Forum Latam was held in the framework of the Latin American Impact Investment Forum (FLII Spanish acronym) in its tenth edition. About The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). It was established in 1997 to promote public and private sector participation in social and economic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our initiatives, implemented through local partner organizations, seek to improve access to economic opportunities as well as to foster innovation in vulnerable communities in the hemisphere. To this end, The Trust also promotes social inclusion and good governance. The Trust has offices in Washington, D.C., Colombia, and Canada. More information: www.trustfortheamericas.org  Facebook: The Trust for the Americas  Twitter:   @Trust4Americas Mexico

The Trust for the Americas, in collaboration with OAS, launched its cycle of webinars on Open Government last week in Belize City to strengthen the capacity of the Belize Ecosystem towards the development of a National Open Government Action Plan. Over 58 participants attended the webinar, online and onsite at BTEC (Belice Training and Employment Centre), which generously provided access to their training room facilities. The webinars were delivered by international experts in a videoconference format, overseen by the OAS and the Open Government Partnership (OGP), and accompanied by the project’s coordinating team in Belize.  Belize has made significant strides towards reducing corruption and advancing public participation, including the acceding to UNCAC (United Nations Convention against corruption) – December 2016, as well as active participation and development of government and non-government actors in the first phase of Trust for the Americas Open Government Project. This new phase “Transformation to an Open Public Administration in Belize” is not only timely in the face of the many issues of accountability and transparency currently in the forefront but seeks to build on the first phase through the development of a National Action Plan for Open Government and the establishment of a national monitoring mechanism.  About The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). It was established in 1997 to promote public and private sector participation in social and economic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our initiatives, implemented through local partner organizations, seek to improve access to economic opportunities as well as to foster innovation in vulnerable communities in the hemisphere. To this end, The Trust also promotes social inclusion and good governance. The Trust has offices in Washington, D.C., Colombia, and Canada. More information: www.trustfortheamericas.org  Facebook: The Trust for the Americas  Twitter:   @Trust4Americas Belize

Washington, D.C. (February 10th 2020) — The Trust for the Americas together with the National Authority for Transparency and Access to Information (ANTAI) and the National Authority for Government Innovation (AIG), invite to the first workshop on transparency, government, open data, and citizen participation in the province of Veraguas, Panama. This workshop is part of the implementation of the first phase of the project “Public Innovation through Open Data in Panama” initiative sponsored by the United States Embassy in Panama. The objective of the workshop is to sensitize the public officials, civil society, academia, media and the private sector of the central provinces of The Republic of Panama on the use of data to improve problems that overwhelm communities. As result of the workshops, it is expected to identify some of the needs of the population of central provinces, what are the demands for data at the local government level to propose solutions through citizen participation mechanisms finally. The activity will be facilitated by Ana Gabriel Zúñiga Aponte, who currently serves as manager of the open contracting program for HIVOS Latam in Costa Rica. Zúñiga during the presidency of Luis Solís, she held the position of Vice-Minister in political affairs and citizen dialogue of the Republic of Costa Rica between 2014 and 2018, where she was responsible for establishing the Open State Plan for Costa Rica. The workshop will be held in Santiago de Veraguas at the Compa Mida facilities on February 12 and 13, 2020. About The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). It was established in 1997 to promote public and private sector participation in social and economic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our initiatives, implemented through local partner organizations, seek to improve access to economic opportunities as well as to foster innovation in vulnerable communities in the hemisphere. To this end, The Trust also promotes social inclusion and good governance. The Trust has offices in Washington, D.C., Colombia, and Canada. More information: www.trustfortheamericas.org  Facebook: The Trust for the Americas  Twitter:   @Trust4Americas Panamá Agenda (only spanish)

Washington, D.C. (January 16, 2020)  The Trust for the Americas in partnership with the Collaborative Public Innovation Laboratory InnovaAP Laboratorio Colaborativo de Innovación Pública InnovaAP and the University Agency for Entrepreneurship Management of the University of Costa Rica launch the project Gente Emprende. Proyecto Gente Emprende. Gente Emprende’s objective is to promote high social value impact projects, that have the capacity of becoming sustainable entrepreneurships. Its structure is composed of 1 introduction session, 5 public innovation workshops using the “sprint” methodology, and 2 follow-up sessions for five municipalities outside of Costa Rica’s Great Metropolitan Area. AUGE will guide the development of the entrepreneurs. AUGE focuses in understanding the issue being resolved and the solution created. The selected projects within each municipality will receive a maximum of $US5,000 for financial support. Jorge Umaña, local coordinator of The Trust for the Americas in Costa Rica “We seek to improve citizen participation in five municipalities of Costa Rica, through a strategy of developing co-creation processes with social actors and proposing solutions to local needs that result in viable, sustainable and high value projects for the population of these locations. During the month of January, informational workshops will be held for NGO’s, philanthropies, media outlets, PYMES, cooperatives, and interested community groups within the selected municipalities, with the following itinerary:  Applications will begin February 2020. We expect participation of more than 750 people throughout the process. For more information follow or social media or contact our local coordinator, Jorge Umaña at jumana@trust-oea.org. About The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). It was established in 1997 to promote public and private sector participation in social and economic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our initiatives, implemented through local partner organizations, seek to improve access to economic opportunities as well as to foster innovation in vulnerable communities in the hemisphere. To this end, The Trust also promotes social inclusion and good governance. The Trust has offices in Washington, D.C., Colombia, and Canada. More information: www.trustfortheamericas.org  Facebook: The Trust for the Americas  Twitter:   @Trust4Americas Costa Rica

Dominican Republic (13-12-2019) – The AES Dominicana Foundation and The Trust for the Americas, an affiliate of the Organization of American States (OAS), completed the “Strengthening Innovative Entrepreneurship” project strengthening local entrepreneurship in the municipalities of Boca Chica, Guayacanes, Quisqueya, Bancos de Arena and la Malena. More than 150 entrepreneurs in those municipalities completed the training in the Canvas Business Model. Participants also acquired tools to strengthen their business concepts.  By increasing entrepreneurial skills the project will contribute to the socio-economic development of communities of Boca Chica, Guayacanes, and Quisqueya, sustainably. The project sponsored an entrepreneurial fair on December 9 – 11. Participants competed for an investment funds  by  explaining their business plan for the development or expansion of their business. The winners were recognized by AES’ Fondos Concursables. Judges from AES Dominicana, The Trust for the Americas, and other experts in business development selected the winning projects. Participants were evaluated on various criteria such as financial viability, sustainability, creativity, innovation, and coherence of their business model, among other criteria. The participants spent two months in training and the development of their business model under the leadership of Luz Marina Correa, Project Manager of The Trust for the Americas. The winning ventures will continue to receive personalized mentoring and advice until March 2020 by Trust for the Americas’ strategic allies IOTIC and Social Cube. AES and The Trust have successfully implemented Fondos Concursables for entrepreneurs and future entrepreneurs. The alliance between AES and The Trust created technology centers for people to acquire skills in digital literacy as well as preparing participants for the job world and entrepreneurship. This fund has impacted citizens in El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, and Panama, countries where AES has a presence and where the company has developed social responsibility programs aimed at communities. The project concluded with events in: About the Dominican AES Foundation The AES Dominicana Foundation is the Corporate Social Responsibility entity for the AES Dominicana group. Since its creation in 2007, it sponsored essential projects in the areas of education and health, including sponsoring more than 10,000 students of elementary schools in Haina, Boca Chica, and Los Mina and partnering with the Dominican Rehabilitation Association (ADR). The result of this alliance has benefited more than one million people. AES also maintains a recycling program for communities near AES operations to create a lifestyle for youth and adults to support a 3Rs culture (Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling) to improve the environment over the long term. About AES Corporation: It is a Fortune 200 global energy company. It provides affordable and sustainable energy to 15 countries through a diverse portfolio of distribution businesses, as well as thermal and renewable generation facilities. About The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). It was established in 1997 to promote public and private sector participation in social and economic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our initiatives, implemented through local partner organizations, seek to improve access to economic opportunities as well as to foster innovation in vulnerable communities in the hemisphere. To this end, The Trust also promotes social inclusion and good governance. The Trust has offices in Washington, D.C., Colombia, and Canada. More information: www.trustfortheamericas.org Facebook: The Trust for the Americas  Twitter: @Trust4Americas      República Dominicana

Sao Paulo, Brazil. (23-09-2019) – Brazilian youth will be given an opportunity to acquire critical, logical, and problem-solving skills to navigate information and communications technologies in the next decade through Microsoft’s Minecraft Hour of Code: Education Edition.  The Trust for the Americas and Microsoft Corporation will soon teach basic coding concepts in a one hour set of activities at POETA centers in four Brazilian cities. The event will consist of one-hour sessions, teaching basic coding concepts, and the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).  A game interface will guide students to help an “agent” detect and prevent outbreaks of forest fires using Artificial Intelligence techniques using Microsoft MakeCode language.  At the end of the hour, participants will receive a certificate. As part of this campaign, The Trust for the Americas and Microsoft Brazil will host a programming week on December 13th, at the POETA Centers in São Paulo, SP, Maracanaú, CE, Brasilia, and Curitiba, PR.  More than 80 youth, including persons with disabilities will be given an opportunity to participate. Several professionals from Trust for The Americas’ local partners will also participate. Linda Eddleman, Executive Director of The Trust for the Americas, explained, “Jobs now and in the future will demand new abilities and skills.  The Trust for the Americas is dedicated to facilitating these skills for youth in the Americas.  We will bridge the skills gap among young people, with the support of private companies and governments.” Minecraft Hour of Code: Education Edition is part of the digital transformation that Microsoft is implementing regionally and globally. Computer science is an essential basis for the skills young people require.  Microsoft is committed to assuring students from less privileged communities will have access to education and computer skills through partnerships with educators, schools and other local partners. Pierina Nepote, Project Manager of The Trust for the Americas, added, “It is vital to work closely with educators. We support them with initiatives such as the Minecraft Hour of Code to promote logical thinking and computer skills in youth.  Educators inspire us with their commitment by supporting their students’ efforts to obtain and strengthen skills needed to compete for better lives. ” The Minecraft Hour of Code is an unparalleled opportunity for children, young people, adults, and educators to acquire critical, logical, and problem-solving thinking skills. About Microsoft Microsoft allows digital transformation in the era of the smart cloud and the intelligent frontier. Its mission is to empower every person and organization to achieve more. Microsoft Brazil has been in Brazil for 30 years and is one of the 110 subsidiaries of Microsoft Corporation, founded in 1975.  Since 2003, the company has invested more than R$451 million to bring free technology to 5,757 NGOs in Brazil, benefiting several social projects.  Since 2011, Microsoft has supported more than 7,000 new companies in Brazil, providing more than $ 202 million in cloud credits. About The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). It was established in 1997 to promote public and private sector participation in social and economic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our initiatives, implemented through local partner organizations, seek to improve access to economic opportunities as well as to foster innovation in vulnerable communities in the hemisphere. To this end, The Trust also promotes social inclusion and good governance. The Trust has offices in Washington, D.C., Colombia, and Canada. More information: www.trustfortheamericas.org Facebook: The Trust for the Americas  Twitter: @Trust4Americas      Brasil

The Governance Lab at NYU Tandon Announces the Launch of the Multi-City Challenge Program http://thegovlab.org/the-governance-lab-at-nyu-tandon-announces-the-launch-of-the-multi-city-challenge-program/ BROOKLYN, New York, December 10, 2019 — The Governance Lab (The GovLab) at New York University Tandon School of Engineering announced the re-launch of the Multi-City Challenge program, an effort to help cities and their residents collaboratively design solutions to urgent public problems. The initiative, supported by the Tinker Foundation, and in collaboration with Consejo Nuevo León, The Trust for the Americas, and the Municipality of San Pedro Garza García, seeks to build on the success of The GovLab’s City Challenges program, by expanding the program to run in five Mexican cities simultaneously in order to take advantage of the collective intelligence of a broader network of citizens to solve urban challenges. City Challenges, which originally launched in 2016, is a social impact program that uses an open call to the public to define problems and identify solutions to pressing public challenges. Uniquely, following this “open innovation” competition and the selection of promising proposals, the winning community teams are provided with expert coaching alongside the responsible civil servants in order to facilitate the rapid and successful implementation of their proposals and support mutual learning between city government and residents. Upon completion of the first pilot in San Pedro Garza García, Mexico in 2016, the City implemented five out of ten projects. For example, the school mobility program that encourages people to use alternatives to private transportation has grown from 11 to 26 schools, and the plan is to scale it to a program that also incorporates public servants and businesses. For the Multi-City Challenge, The GovLab will partner with five local governments and their residents in northern Mexico to define concrete and important public problems, design and implement open innovation challenges to solve them, and coach and mentor challenge winners so that solutions can be rapidly implemented. “Running a City Challenge simultaneously across multiple cities will generate pooled resources, including expertise that make up for the absence of effective policymaking resources in medium and small cities,” said Professor Beth Simone Noveck, Director of The GovLab. “Most of these cities are facing very similar challenges such as poor air quality or increased traffic. The combination of competition and coaching within and across communities promises cost savings, more effective and, above all, more implementable solutions.” The Multi-City Challenge program will run for nine months. The Multi-City Challenge expands the number of concurrently participating cities, allowing the municipalities to pool expertise from their respective residents to discover and implement innovative solutions to urban challenges.  “In many cases, city governments need not look far to find the expertise needed to address the challenges they face,” said Victoria Alsina, Professor and Senior Fellow at The GovLab. “Often it is their own civil servants and communities who are best positioned to identify where public services fall short, and who also possess the specialized knowledge needed to solve complex public challenges. Multi-City Challenge is about tapping into that knowledge and expertise, and mobilizing it.” “In Mexico we need more public policies that are results-oriented, evidence-based and inclusive,” said Alejandra Mendoza, Project Coordinator. “The Multi-City Challenge is a great mechanism to achieve this by empowering the community and public servants to work together in making their cities more sustainable.” The Municipality of San Pedro Garza García, which participated in GovLab’s initial City Challenge program, will co-sponsor this Multi-City Challenge and serve as one of the five participating cities. The remaining four cities shall be chosen by an international and Mexico-based Board of Advisors, following a competitive process.  For more information about City Challenges, click here or contact info@thegovlab.org. If you are a municipality from Northern Mexico interested in participating in the Multi-City Challenge open call for cities, please complete this short form. The open call will be published at the end of January 2020. About The Governance Lab at the NYU Tandon School of EngineeringThe Governance Lab’s mission is to improve people’s lives by changing the way we govern. Our goal at The GovLab is to strengthen the ability of institutions — including but not limited to governments — and people to work more openly, collaboratively, effectively, and legitimately to make better decisions and solve public problems. We believe that increased availability and use of data, new ways to leverage the capacity, intelligence, and expertise of people in the problem-solving process, combined with new advances in technology and science, can transform governance. We approach each challenge and opportunity in an interdisciplinary, collaborative way, irrespective of the problem, sector, geography, and level of government. For more information, visit thegovlab.org. About the Tinker FoundationThe Tinker Foundation was established in 1959 by Edward Larocque Tinker, who believed that the wellbeing of the peoples of the Americas depended upon their mutual trust, friendship, and cooperation. Tinker’s current mission is to promote the development of an equitable, sustainable, and productive society in Latin America, with a commitment to funding organizations based in the region. Through its grantmaking, Tinker supports work in the areas of democratic governance, education, and sustainable resource management.  About the Trust for the AmericasThe Trust for the Americas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). It was established in 1997 to promote public and private sector participation in social and economic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our initiatives, implemented through local partner organizations, seek to improve access to economic opportunities as well as to foster innovation in vulnerable communities in the hemisphere. To this end, The Trust also promotes social inclusion and good governance. The Trust has offices in Washington, D.C., and a local presence in Colombia and Canada. For more information, visit www.trustfortheamericas.org About the New York University Tandon School of EngineeringThe NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, the founding date for both the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (widely known as Brooklyn Poly). A January 2014 merger created a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a tradition of invention and entrepreneurship

Washington, D.C. December 5th, 2019 – This year The Trust for the Americas and the Organization of American States recognized one private company Sierra Nevada (Colombia), one “social enterprise”–Migraflix (Brazil), and one NGO –The TENT partnership for Refugees– for their work in support of Venezuelan migrants in the hemisphere.  Sierra Nevada is a 130 employees hospitality company established in 2013. For the past two years has provided low-cost food at places where refugees gather, such as bus stations. It has also hired 50 migrants (including hearing-impaired migrants). Sierra Nevada is spearheading a campaign to highlight the plight of refugees, diminish xenophobia, promote tolerance and increase the hiring of refugees by other businesses.  Migraflix is a social enterprise that encourages Brazilians to take refugees from all over the world into their homes to help the refugees integrate into Brazilian society. TENT Partnership for Refugees (USA) has brought its experience to the refugee crises in Latin America to focus on the needs of refugees: employment; obtaining services; and supporting entrepreneurship. Its Latin American operations are implemented by 21 businesses and involve more than 1,000 both multinational and national organizations.      The awardees were recognized in front of an audience of 100 regional leaders including representatives of the 34 OAS member countries, senior officials of our organization, members of the Board of the Trust for the Americas, representatives of multinational companies, representatives of the Government of the United States, as well as members of the press and multilateral organizations based in Washington DC. The ceremony was led by Mr. Enrique García, Chairman of the Board of the Trust for the Americas and former president of CAF. This year represents the 13th edition of the Corporate Citizen of the Americas Award. Previous winners include Fundación Microfinanzas BBVA (España); GSMA (Argentina); Cisco (United States); Alpina (Germany); Indra Corporation (Spain); Cemex (Mexico); Diageo (Latin America); Daimler Chrysler (Brazil); Conoco Philips (Venezuela); Pfizer (Latin America), among others. At the ceremony, a special virtual reality film consisting of a 360° immersive called ¨Walking for Freedom: A Venezuelan Story” followed the stories of Venezuelan refugees fleeing their country. This production is a collaboration between the Global Shapers Community (an initiative of the World Economic Forum), the Plan País NGO, and Mycrom Films (a trademark of Mycrom Logistics, a film production company based in Lima, Perú). At the close of the ceremony, a video recorded by Fonseca was presented, expressing his commitment to help Venezuelan migrants in Colombia through his Fundacion Gratitud. “The Trust for the Americas and the Organization of American States achieved something fundamental: invite key players in Latin America to work together and together get to face one of the biggest crises facing our region. From Fundacion Gratitud we are committed to supporting Venezuelan migrants in Colombia because we believe in the wealth that cultural migration provides.” *** About The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). Established in 1997 to promote public-private partnerships, The Trust has implemented projects in 24 countries and has worked with more than 1,000 organizations in the region. Our initiatives seek to promote educational and economic opportunities, as well as the responsibility and transparency of the government. Our unique alliance with the OAS allows us to have access to decision-makers within the region. This fundamental partnership is the basis through which we create strong networks in all member states and the private sector. Through the development of our region, The Trust continues to contribute to overcoming challenges through strategic alliances that promote cooperation for sustainable results. For more information: www.trustfortheamericas.org Facebook: The Trust for the Americas  Twitter:   @Trust4Americas Canada – Antigua & Barbuda – Argentina – Belize – Brasil – Chile – Estados Unidos – Colombia – Costa Rica – Ecuador – El Salvador – Guatemala – Honduras – Jamaica – Mexico – Nicaragua – Panamá – Perú – Puerto Rico – República Dominicana – St. Kits & Nevis – St. Lucia – St. Vincent & Granadinas – Venezuela

Kingston, Jamaica (11/20/2019) With the aim of fostering economic empowerment through stimulating innovation and providing training in skills for tomorrow and entrepreneurship, N.C.B. Foundation, Mico University College and The Trust for the Americas signed a memorandum of understanding to design and implement the first year of an Entrepreneurship and Skills for Tomorrow Innovation Lab, in order to improve access to quality educational opportunities for Jamaican youth. The signing took place at the Mico University College campus, which is our local partner to implement this initiative. Among the personalities attending were Dr. Asburn Pinnock; President of The Mico University College, N.C.B. Foundation Chairperson Thalia Lyn, N.C.B. Foundation CEO Nadeen Matthews Blair, Dwayne Gutzmer, CEO of the Institute of Law and Economics of Jamaica. During a one year period, this project will offer 150 participants training in digital skills, programming, entrepreneurship, and preparation to join the workforce, as well as additional activities such as Hackathons, “Pitch Tank” competitions; in which USD 15,000.00 will be granted to the most innovative entrepreneurship, as economic incentives.  During the signing, María Fernanda Sierra, Project Manager of The Trust for the Americas, mentioned: “The N.C.B. Foundation’s Innovation Laboratory will be the first to provide skills for tomorrow to vulnerable young people in Jamaica. The Laboratory will have different challenges and opportunities. This time we are working to promote digital skills, Leadership, and job-readiness, combined with preparation for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. N.C.B. is investing in the future of Jamaica. ”  “We trust that this program will change the game in Jamaica, and will be instrumental in enabling our digital economy. Through this alliance, the N.C.B. seeks to create a model and promote an ecosystem that allows to scale and have a national impact. ”Nadeen Matthews Blair, N.C.B. Foundation CEO. Also, Carol Clarke, Vice President of Academic Affairs of Mico, highlighting its organization’s slogan: “Change to preserve our legacy”; emphasized the importance of generating the necessary conditions for young people to be better prepared to face the accelerating transformations of the competitive labor market. About The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). It was established in 1997 to promote public and private sector participation in social and economic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our initiatives, implemented through local partner organizations, seek to improve access to economic opportunities as well as to foster innovation in vulnerable communities in the hemisphere. To this end, The Trust also promotes social inclusion and good governance. The Trust has offices in Washington, D.C., Colombia, and Canada. More information: www.trustfortheamericas.org Facebook: The Trust for the Americas  Twitter: @Trust4Americas      About the N.C.B. Foundation: Established in 2003, the N.C.B. Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the NCB Financial Group Limited. With its focus on three primary areas – Education, Community Development and Sports, and Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship—the N.C.B. Foundation embraces sustainable charitable causes, and contribute to the acceleration of national development. From investing in scholarships at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels and empowering youths with skills in leadership and entrepreneurship to enhancing trainees’ lives through training in various skills-based programs. The N.C.B. Foundation is committed to elevating and empowering the people in the communities it serves. To date, the N.C.B. Foundation has donated over J$1.5 billion to various charitable initiatives, positively impacting the lives of over 250,000 Jamaicans. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ncbfoundation Twitter: @NCBFoundation About Mico Mico University College is the oldest and largest English-speaking specialist teacher training educational institution in the Caribbean. For 180 years, Mico University College has been at the forefront of efforts to improve access to quality educational opportunities in Jamaica. Mico University College has highly trained staff, with years of experience in the field of innovation. Jamaica

Since 2016, the DIA Urban Lab – Democratizing Innovation in the Americas – has benefited over 1,350 youth and provided grants to 88 innovative projects and groundbreaking ventures in Jamaica. Kingston, Jamaica (04/09/2019) — From July 20 to 22, the DIA Urban Lab for Youth Innovation Project held an Innovation Camp and Pitch Tank competition, where youth from diverse parishes attended public speaking, branding, canvas, and financial literacy workshops to refine presentation skills prior to pitching their ideas to a panel of judges. 20 innovators received seed funding to launch their ventures. Miguel Francis, DIA Participant said, “DIA Camp is a tremendous opportunity for all those innovators who want to take their projects to a next level. I received training, attended the bootcamp, and won at the pitch competition. Many young people think innovation is a sophisticated word and are afraid to explore entrepreneurship, but our job market demands to think outside the box, network as much as we can, and think how to compete internationally. Having a laser cutter and 3D printer at the Urban Lab makes my life easier.” Launched in 2016 with support from Founding Donor Citi Foundation and USAID through A New Path Project, DIA Jamaica is an initiative created by The Trust for the Americas, an affiliate of the Organization of American States, to empower a new generation of young entrepreneurs and innovators, who will act as agents of change in their communities. DIA Jamaica is part of Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress global initiative to prepare young people with the career readiness tools and opportunities needed to thrive in today’s economy. Pathway to Progress is comprised of programs, research, and partnerships like the one with Trust of the Americas, which help youth build an entrepreneurial mindset and acquire leadership. In addition, The Trust for the Americas held a brainstorming session last Wednesday to design and launch a mentorship component with members of the PSOJ-Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica. PSOJ CEO Makeba Bennett said, “The PSOJ remains firm in the belief that investment in human capital is critical if we’re to realize true sustainable development, and so we’re pleased to support the DIA Jamaica and the work they are doing to help develop young entrepreneurs. Our members share the vision and have willingly come onboard to give their time and expertise to mentor the next generation of business leaders.” The DIA Urban Lab has awarded 88 seed funding opportunities and benefited over 1,350 young people through innovation training and access to state-of-the-arts technology. DIA is also present in Belize, Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama. About The Trust for the Americas: The Trust for the Americas is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS). It was established in 1997 to promote public and private sector participation in social and economic development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our initiatives, implemented through local partner organizations, seek to improve access to economic opportunities as well as to foster innovation in vulnerable communities in the hemisphere. To this end, The Trust also promotes social inclusion and good governance. The Trust has offices in Washington, D.C., Colombia, and Canada. For more information: www.trustfortheamericas.org Facebook: The Trust for the Americas  Twitter: @Trust4Americas      About the Organization of American States: The OAS has 34 member states and it is the world’s oldest regional organization. The Organization uses a four-pronged approach to effectively implement its essential purposes, based on its main pillars: democracy, human rights, security, and development. In Jamaica, the General Secretariat of the OAS, through is Department of Public Security, is implementing the project “A New Path”, which seeks to improve the lives of at-risk youth and youth in conflict with the law. A priority of “A New Path” is to offer support for youth to address their emotional, social, educational, and economic challenges.  It works with key areas that can enable the successful economic and social integration of the youth. For more information: www.oas.org Twitter: @OEA_Seguridad About The Citi Foundation: The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant cities. The Citi Foundation’s “More than Philanthropy” approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation. For more information, visit www.citifoundation.com. About ILE The Institute of Law & Economics (ILE), is a private non-profit organization based in Kingston, Jamaica, established in 1998 to foster collaboration, innovation, research/consultancy, public education and discussion between the legal and economic professions, with a view to promoting a multi-disciplinary approach to sustainable development locally, and in the Caribbean Region. ILE has been working towards this through stimulating public discussions, high level training and debate in an objective, non-partisan and democratic manner, with a view to empowering our citizens while influencing national and regional policies that affect our lives. Jamaica