cherice gisbson yse_module completed

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Prepared by Cherice Gibson

29.01.2011

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This document gives a description of INSIDE OUT, its background, target

group and objectives.

Cherice Gibson

Project Manager




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What is the title of your project/ social enterprise/venture?

Inside Out

A creative youth outreach program

What is the main goal of your project?

The main goal of this project is to empower youth between ages 15 and 18 from the ‘non-grammar

schools’ broaden their goals, ambitions and change their approach to society.

Describe the magnitude of the problem you aim to address

Background Information

Issues among youth such as unemployment and deviant behaviour are key concerns in Barbados

and have been feature in our media as seen in the following article from one of our local

Newspapers:

Nation Newspaper

Youth to put proposals to Government

In July 2008 The Ministry of Family, Youth, Sports and the Environment commissioned a National

Youth Consultation in July 2008 with the purpose “to obtain information from young people about

issues affecting them as well as any ideas and recommendations they have to address their

problems”.




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Participants’ responses to the research study highlighted five(5) main thematic areas as the major

issues affecting Barbadian youth, and categorised under the following headings:

Health and Sexuality

Education

Social Problems

Economic Challenges Family Issues

The following are a few excerpts from the findings of that study

“Education

This was a major concern for the majority of youth who participated in the research

study. The lack of certification/qualification, the stifling educational curriculum and

the lack of access to funding to further their studies or start a business were primary

concerns for the youth population of Barbados.

The block youth readily emphasised the value of a sound education and lamented

that because of their lack of education it hindered them from securing gainfulemployment. Interestingly, many of the block youth stated, that despite the

stereotypical notions, they too aspire to have „desk jobs‟ and not be limited to a

trade or skill based occupations.

Youth within the secondary and tertiary institutions voiced their frustrations

concerning the limited scope of the educational curriculum which does not facilitate

the pursuit of not traditional careers (professional sports, theatre arts) or

encourage the marriage between academics and technical/vocational training.

Another area of frustration highlighted by the youth, especially those who have just

completed tertiary education, was the lack of job experience due to the inability of

the curriculum to offset this barrier by offering more internships and job

attachment opportunities.

This view was aptly summed up by one of the participants who stated „…you need

job experience to get a job but how will you get the experience if you can’t get the

job‟. It was felt by many of the participants within these two categories that as long

as the youth continued to subscribe to society’s belief that if one „does not have

papers and a traditional job you are nothing‟, things as it relates to education will

remain the same.” (p.16, Report on the National Youth Consultation 2008)

“Social Problems

When participants were asked to explain or expand on their views about these social ills, one concept kept resurfacingand that was Stress/Pressure from various sections of society (home, school, peers, family). They stated that society

provided little or no opportunity for them to express their feelings and opinions. This, coupled with the lack of emotional

support from the family, often lead them to engage in deviant behaviours which in turn have implications for the many

issues they identified as affecting them.” (p.17, Report on the National Youth Consultation 2008)

“Economic Challenges

Unemployment, the high cost of living, the lack of access to affordable housing and land and the lack of funding to start a

business were the main concerns within this area and seen as barriers to supporting oneself and family. Unemployment

was a major concern for the boys on the block who attributed this to the lack of education and the stigma associated with

the block.(p.17, Report on the National Youth Consultation 2008)




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In Barbados in order to enter secondary school at the age of 11 (9-10 in exceptional cases) all

students are required to sit the Common Entrance Examination. This is a standard exam designed

and executed by the Ministry of Education. According to students’ performance in the exam, they

are then placed into one of the 23 secondary schools in the island.

These secondary schools are divided into strata. Where this may not be an unusual occurrence, it isa system which has had profound effects on the mindsets and ambitions of students enrolled in the

varying schools. The schools requiring the highest grades for entry are the older secondary schools

in the island and are at times referred to as the more prestigious ‘grammar’ schools. These schools

tend to provide many more opportunities for students to be exposed to:

career counselling

work with social agencies

personal development sessions (to provide students with an extensive and holistic

curriculum which not only expose students to academic pursuits and sporting pursuits; but

many areas of social activism and career development...)

It must be understood that the curriculum for all Secondary schools is set by the Ministry of

Education. However each school is able to offer additional opportunities to their students. With

this foundation I can now explain what my programme seeks to do.

Students in the ‘grammar’ schools are exposed to a number of development programmes and

associations, though students in the ‘non-grammar’ secondary schools may have some of these

opportunities, they are significantly less.

Students, who are products of the ‘grammar’ schools

throughout their school career, are not only academically

trained, but motivated and emboldened with the view that they are able to achieve whatever they desire. They are

exposed to numerous career showcases, social initiatives

and given the resources to pursue initiatives of their own

making within the community at large.

These students are not only then considered to be the

intellectuals of the country, but they are also considered to

be the most well rounded and equipped youth in the

society. In their final two to four years of school, this

mindset is nurtured in the schools requirement for their

Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams, the

opportunities they are exposed to, equipping/grooming them for further studies, personal pursuits

and beginning a career.

Returning to the case of those students from the non grammar schools, they are often at a marked

disadvantage. Fundamental areas such as their language, their mindset, ambitions and more

practically their choice of subjects/the schools’ requirements for their choices for CXC, impact on

their performance in school and ultimately their employability in the world or work.




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Students of ‘grammar’ schools can graduate on average with about 8 or more certificates whereas

their peers in the ‘non grammar’ schools on average can graduate with 5 or less. Most work places

in the country expect employees to have at least 5 certificates (and that applies to lower paid

careers). In an interview conducted with a past student of a ‘non grammar’ school the gentleman

stated that he found that his peers at ‘grammar’ schools had a different mindset about their school

life and future than his peers at his own secondary school. He even stated that those from the

‘grammar’ school referred to their ‘school career’ rather than ‘time at school’.

The Chain reactionUnemployment among youth is therefore a resulting factor which further leads to the perpetuation

of the ‘block culture’ (youth being idle day after day) which results in deviant behaviour and crime

among youth.

The Barbados Youth Development Council (BYDC) recently held a youth employment seminar on

January 8th 2011, where these very concerns were raised. One of the presenters Dr. Tennyson S.D.

The

ChainReaction

Lack of exposureto personal &devlopmentalopportunities

Graduation withfew certificates

& negativeoutlook onlife/society

Unemploymentamong youth

&

Poverty

Deviantbehaviour among

youth &increasing 'block

culture'

As these youth become parents themselves (which often occurs at an

early age- but teen pregnancy is another issue) they perpetuate this cycle

as they will teach/guide their children from their own experiences &

mindsets




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Joseph spoke on the topic Youth Employment: Challenges, Opportunities and Strategies for the Way

Forward.

He stated “The real challenge for the BYDC, in seeking to ensure youth enfranchisement, is not to

beg the government for an increase in spending on youth placement programs. These are

important, but instead, its challenge should be to shift social consciousness, to encourage the banks,the entrepreneurs, the hoarders of capital, and the private sector to see young persons and their

natural gifts and talents, as important resources. In short, the real challenge facing the BYDC is to

alter mental attitudes. It is only when such a shift has been effected can we truly say, that the

revolution is beginning.”

Describe what will be different in your community as a result of your project. Be specific

and answer this in no more than 2 sentences. This is the aim of your project.

Graduates of the non grammar schools will be empowered to take charge of their lives and

equipped with personal and developmental tools which will to help expand their thinking and

approach to society. This will then result in a reduction in the level of unemployment among youthand by extension the increasing deviant behaviour among youth ages 15-18 years.

Using the ‘who, what, why, where when, how’ questions presented earlier in this module

write a background summary for the project. The purpose of the background summary is

to clearly and briefly identify the key facts and issues related to the problems that your

project aims to address.

Who

This project will target fourth and fifth form students (ages 15-18) of the ‘non grammar' secondary

schools of Barbados.

What

What will this program do? This program would seek to give the students exposure to many social

agencies and opportunities, to possibilities in careers and social issues which would broaden their

mindset influence their goals and ambitions in such a way that they really do have the approach of

the sky being the limit.

The project will seek to have each student paired with a mentor for its duration and address certain

topics and issues in a group setting over the eight-ten week period. These will include:

Discovering self – Who am I and what am I capable of, What am I good at?

Discovering the world – What opportunities are out there? What is possible? What have

others like me done? What social issues are there? What is going in their word?

Discovering my passions- What issues grab at me? What would I like to pursue? What

areas interest me? What’s in me and what can I do? How is this possible?




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What’s it going to take? – In terms of personal development i.e. discipline, sacrifices,

attitudes to adopt and change. Seeking to have a role model to emulate. What studying is

necessary? What alliances should I form/What organizations should I be involved in?

So what am I going to do? – Developing a life/career plan

Motivational speeches/publication of their ideas.

What follows up this 8 -10week session is a social network using social media and other platforms

where students can continue to keep connected with each other and their mentors.

Where

The project will be held at a local conference centre/meeting hall. (Or a retreat house- there can be

a sleep-in segment which occurs for one week.)

Why

The lack of opportunities for training, career guidance and personal development for students from

‘non grammar’ schools which results in the ‘block culture’, negative mindsets, unemployment and

poverty among youth.

When

During the annual summer vacation (eight-ten weeks). Targeting five schools with a male and

female student from each school.

Now write your objectives using the SMART technique. Explain how each objective will

help you to achieve the aim of your project.

The objectives toward the project ’s inception include:

1. To secure the buy-in, financial and in kind support of at least three corporate entities to the

project for at least 2 -3 years.

2. In 2011 we will recruit 22 mentors and 5 program staff for assistance in the development of

the project curriculum and necessary documentation.

3. The project team will develop a clear and structured program curriculum which would

empower youth contributing to their personal and career development

4. To enlist and enrol 20 participants for the first occurrence of the project in the summer of

2012.

The objectives of the project itself include:

1. To expose the participants to social organisations, agencies and opportunities. (This will

expand their thinking about life and approach to society.)

2. To provide the participants with career counselling. (This will aid them in the choice of

subjects to study and guide them in career choices.)

cherice gisbson yse_module completed

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