When Sherry Lauter, wife of Master Spas' CEO Bob Lauter and former teacher, first discovered NAZ Children's Centre in Montego Bay, Jamaica, she was shocked by the condition of the elementary school.
"[The students] were on top of each other. These rooms didn't even have walls up to the ceiling. I thought, 'How do they do that? I used to complain about 26 kids in my classroom.'"
Determined to do something to help students at the overcrowded school, Master Spas partnered with their dealer network in a campaign that raised funds to build a decent venue for children's education at NAZ.
That was 2013.
Buoyed by the success of the primary school, late last year the manufacturer decided to follow up with a new high school.
Before construction even began, parents were calling the plans for the high school "an answered prayer," as the addition will offer the same inclusive, mixed-ability classroom environment found at the modernized elementary school — a rare advancement in custom education for an area where schools can sometimes see ratios of 60 students per teacher.
"Unfortunately, most of our traditional high schools lack these avenues for students to learn a different way," says Alixann Narcisse-Campbell, founder and director of NAZ.
Master Spas also believes no child should be left behind because of financial constraints, so they established a student scholarship fund for potential students in NAZ's community.
"'Thank you' is not enough," Narcisse-Campbell says. "I'm humbled by the continued support and generosity of the Master Spas family."
"The kids are realizing they can live a fulfilled life and really make something of themselves," says Dan Henry of East Coast Spas, a Masters Spas dealer in Horsham, Penn. "Seeing the difference Master Spas has made in the lives of NAZ students reinforces what I've always known. It's not all about the bottom line — it's about making a mark on this planet for the better."
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