The Future of Jamaica is in Preparation

Published on January 29, 2020 by Admin

Time and again it is said, “The youths are the future”, and it is true. But what exactly are we doing to secure the future? OHS Mentorship Programme has gone beyond classroom content and personal development to life development. The Programme relaunched at the beginning of the academic year 2019-2020 with the aim of better servicing the participants.

Business Men and Women of tomorrow

The program hosted its first workshop this year dubbed Youths in Business, an entrepreneurship workshop. The aim is to educate students about the basic entrepreneurship principles and encourage them to start their small businesses. After the workshop, the students are charged with starting and operating their own small business.

Future Environmentalists

This year, the OHS Mentorship programme has partnered with the OHS Environment Club, who through its parent club, Wisynco Eco Club promotes a plastic-free Jamaica and as such encourages recycling in schools. With the understanding of the danger plastic poses on the environment including the aquatic food chain, the participants have extended their mission outside the walls of the school, getting the vendors and other small businesses in the community involved in their recycling project. Students, members of the 4H Club and teachers take their plastic bottles from their homes and communities, as well as, the vendors and small businesses collect plastic bottles from their customers to add to the recycle bin for proper disposal. It takes a village to raise a child, and that includes supporting their ventures- encouragement strengthens labour.

Planning Ahead- Vision 2020

“A man without a vision cannot see what’s ahead.” The most successful people share one of their secrets to success, and that is planning for the future and being strategic. The OHS Mentorship participants were introduced to the concept of goal setting and strategic planning. They closed off the year 2019 with a goal-setting workshop dubbed “Youthful and Goalden”. Students were empowered to create a space in the future they will occupy by planning for it. Students were facilitated in creating vision boards and a plan of action where they were not only encouraged to set goals but become actionable so their goals can manifest.

A school is not just an institution for academic pursuits, but more so an institution of learning skills and values. If we want a bright future, it makes sense to influence who can create it.

The coordinators and participants extend thanks for the support given during the first quarter of the academic year. “We can only get stronger and better if everyone sees, promote and work towards the vision of a better tomorrow”

– Shackeria Mesquita.