Following a one-year hiatus due to Hurricane Melissa, the GraceKennedy Foundation is officially bringing back its highly anticipated Birthright Programme for 2027.
If you are a university student of Jamaican descent living abroad and looking to reconnect with your roots while gaining vital professional experience, this opportunity is calling your name.
Abigail Ralph, Lauren Roach and Josiah Royes.
What is the Birthright Programme?
The GraceKennedy Birthright Programme is an all-expenses-paid, six-week initiative. It combines professional internship placements within GraceKennedy’s Jamaican operations with deeply immersive cultural tours across the island. Since 2004, over 60 young people from the diaspora have used this program to build career skills while exploring the history and traditions that shape their identity.
Group CEO Frank James, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade The
Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, and Interns Lauren Roach and Abigail Ralph.
“It Truly Felt Like Coming Home”
Kyrah McIntosh, a 2025 participant from Liverpool Hope University in the UK, shared how impactful the journey was.
“Working with GraceKennedy gave me valuable professional experience, but what stood out most was the opportunity to experience Jamaica firsthand through its people, culture and history,” McIntosh noted. “It helped me connect with my heritage in a way I never had before, and for the first time, it truly felt like coming home.”
GraceKennedy Ltd CEO Frank James echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the program is an investment in the next generation of global leaders who will champion Jamaica’s story across industries worldwide.
Kyrah McIntosh, Lauren Roach and Abigail Ralph.
Eligibility and Application Details
For the 2027 cohort, GraceKennedy will select four exceptional candidates: two from the United States, one from Canada, and one from the United Kingdom.
- Who can apply: Second- or third-generation Jamaicans living in the diaspora.
- Age requirement: Applicants must be between 18 and 25 years old.
- Education: You must be currently enrolled at a university in the US, Canada, or the UK.
- Deadline: Applications opened on September 1 and will close on November 30, 2026.
- Next Steps: Shortlisted candidates will be invited to in-person interviews in Miami, New York, Toronto, or London in spring 2027, ahead of the program’s start in June.
Interested students can apply directly at www.gracekennedy.com or email gkfoundation@gkco.com for more information.
