Saba Comprehensive School and public entity present ‘Mentorship’

The Department of Community Development of the public entity Saba and Saba Comprehensive School (SCS) identified the need for more guidance and positive role models within the community. In an initiative to form a joint, community-based approach to curb certain habits and behaviours that may hamper the overall well-being of teenagers in school and their social life, “The Mentor-ship” was born.

Through the use of extracurricular activity participation in safe environments and positive relationships with car­ing adults who can provide additional guidance, the coor­dinators anticipate a positive impact on the youth of Saba.

The mentorship programme focuses on children ages 12­-17 years, the period in children’s development when they form their ideas on relationships, lifestyle, hobbies and extracurricular activities, and are also more susceptible to the influences of peer pressure.

“As the saying goes, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ and it is necessary for us to collectively assist in shaping and strengthening our youth’s identity and personal beliefs in a positive way,” The Mentorship coordinators said.

Rayann Ramdin, who is tasked with youth preventive care at the public entity, and SCS care coordinator Carol Irvine-Skinner said the objective of this programme is to have the children paired with mentors who will give guid­ance by building trust and modelling positive behaviours while taking the time to connect with them to engage in a high-quality relationship.

Mentors are required to undergo a careful screening process to determine eligibility for the programme, which includes an interview and a letter of recommendation.

Mentees can be referred to the programme by their parents or school, and they can also sign up themselves. Persons interested in becoming mentors can apply before July 31.

Once the recruitment of mentors and mentees is com­plete, a certified mentor training takes place in August, and the programme begins in September after pairing a mentor with a mentee. The Mentorship should run for six months.

The Daily Herald.