[CSJP, Friday, February 19, 2010]: The two year old ‘Flanker Youth Sanctuary’ is being hailed for changing the lives of scores of school dropouts as well as expelled and suspended students from St. James, and may be preventing many from turning to crime and violence.
Through the Flanker Community Development Committee and with the support of the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) of the Ministry of National Security, the Sanctuary has been rehabilitating students who have found themselves on the wrong side of school rules, at the Flanker Peace and Justice Centre.
The Sanctuary was established in 2008 as a response to the growing demand from schools for formal counseling for suspended students. Two years later, well over 70 students, mostly boys, have entered the programme and left as changed individuals.
Marilyn McIntosh Nash, Executive Director of the Centre explains that the Youth Sanctuary includes a School Suspension Programme, a creative and performance programme to positively engage the young people, as well as accommodation for school drops outs. She says the Sanctuary helps to get these dropouts back into a school or to prepare them for the job market.
Coordinator of the programme, Joan Munroe-Green said “we have been receiving students from traditional and non-traditional high as well as primary and junior high schools across St. James. These schools include Cornwall College, Mount Alvernia, Spot Valley High, Green Pond High, St. James High and Green Pond and Mount Salem Primary and Junior High”.
The centre has a number of trained Counsellors who volunteer their service to assist youngsters in turning around their lives.
According to Mrs. Munro-Green, “the selection of these students … is very meticulous. They must satisfy our criteria and give us full details of these kids…what they have been doing wrong, where they are in school, and what examinations they are due to sit, if that is the case. On getting this information, we design special academic programmes for each student to ensure that even though they are out of school, they are not left behind”.
With regard to the social needs of these students, Mrs. Munroe-Green said “all students must undergo counseling once they are enrolled in the programme. In addition, even after they return to school, they are given a letter to take to the Principal which outlines future counseling sessions which they must attend. In our sessions, we address conflict and anger management, home issues including parenting and in some cases the parents of these kids are asked to attend with them”.
Mrs. Munroe-Green said “CSJP and indeed the Ministry of National Security must be commended for the work they have done for this programme and if the resources are available, it could be replicated in other sections of the country where there is a need. She said “St. James has a large number of so-called troubled students, much more than we can handle here at the centre. However, one of our aims is to get those whom we would have counseled to impart the knowledge they learnt from us, to other challenged students in their school and communities”.
Flanker is one of 26 volatile and vulnerable communities that CSJP serves across the nation. CSJP provides crime and violence prevention services to these communities and conducts institutional strengthening of the Ministry of National Security.
Contact:
Gillian Scott, Social Marketing Coordinator
Tel: (Cell) 341 0622; (Landline) 906 4714
