PTE is dedicated to empowering underserved communities
in Jamaica by providing educational resources, fostering youth development, and promoting sustainable solutions.”
Help Our Cause
Your support will enable us to meet our goals and improve conditions to stimulate a love for learning. Your generous donation will fund our mission.
Join Us on the Path to Excellence
Empowering Underserved Communities
Our aim is to facilitate access to education resources to reduce the prevalence of education disparities in the communities that we will serve. Making a meaningful and measurable contribution for the youth is essential for future generations.
The Moneague Primary & Junior School
Individual Container Gardens
Creating container gardens for the students to have their own individual plants to grow. This will be an opportunity for the children to engage their imagination with nature and enjoy learning. It will also create an appreciation for the world and create a foundation for environmental stewardship.
Tablets for Resource Room
Purchasing 40 tables to have stationary in the resource area. Having the students use school tablets limits external content available as a distraction for learning. There would be enough for the entire class to partake in the activities and not rely on looking on a laptop at the front of the class.
Help Us Expand Our Reach to Genesis Academy
The school focuses on the enrichment of students with physical and developmental challenges.
Long Term Initiative
Multipurpose Room
Establishing a new multipurpose room to create additional testing space to facilitate additional students. In the past, students would have to stay home due to limited space for proctored exams and rotate coming to school.
Help Our Cause
Your support will enable us to meet our goals and improve conditions to stimulate a love for learning. Your generous donation will fund our mission.
About the Organization
Pathways to Excellence (PTE) is a remarkable 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2022. The mission is to assist and empower underserved communities across Jamaica, from Westmoreland to St Thomas and all the parishes in between. Our core focus lies in educational outreach. PTE was brought to life by the visionary mind of Lisa McKoy MS, BSN, RN who possess an unwavering commitment to addressing education and health disparities. She had a vision of implementing effective interventions to uplift the people of Jamaica.
The decision to embark on this venture was not taken lightly. Lisa equipped herself with the necessary knowledge and expertise by pursuing graduate school education inspiring them to envision and execute their passion for effective change. With impressive collective experience of over 33 years of healthcare and community service. The insatiable drive to empower individuals towards better health and a love for knowledge is the core of her being. Failure is not an option for Lisa.
Armed with the invaluable tools and insights acquired during her time in graduate school, PTE is determined to dismantle the fortress of inequity by focusing on the root causes including factors that contribute to the creation and perpetuation of these disparities in the lives of those we will be privileged to serve Jamaica. As the journey continues, PTE stands as a beacon of hope for the underserved communities they serve. Through education outreach, the organization strives to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of countless individuals, fostering a brighter and healthier future for all Jamaicans – starting with the youth of the nation.
Meet the Founder
Lisa
Lisa McKoy is a trailblazer as the first generation born in the United States from her Jamaican parents. Her roots are firmly tied to her grandparents, Louise Peynado and Allan McKoy. Her grandfather is affectionally known as a kind, compassionate man that shared with his community in various ways including giving money to purchase school supplies at the beginning of the school year. Despite only having 6th grade education, he was acutely aware of the importance and power of a good education. Lisa’s mother and grandmother migrated from the hot springs of Bath and the mountains of Beacon Hill, St Thomas, seeking a better life in the United States of America. However, the reality of the American dream proved different from their initial expectations. They met numerous challenges being in an unfamiliar country without any formal education. The importance of getting an education was instilled in Lisa with the value of humility and the importance of helping others.
Over the span of three decades, Lisa has dedicated herself to volunteer work, collaborating with various churches and other public-facing organizations. Her commitment includes contributing her time and resources to numerous initiatives such as organizing donations of clothing, food, and books both in Jamaica and the United States. With a career in nursing that spans over 30 years, Lisa's dedication to caring for others has matured into a higher purpose. The spirit of Lisa's mother, affectionately known as Auntie Dawn, has instilled a deep sense of empathy, commitment and generosity in Lisa and others.
Lisa remains steadfast in her commitment to the country that helped shape her into a person of integrity and strong values. Her dedication to giving back includes addressing education disparities showcases her as a remarkable role model for those around her. She desires to bring that fundamental spirit of generosity back to the homeland of her ancestors.