The Grace & Staff Community Development Foundation (Grace & Staff) has launched its first crime prevention programme, called ‘Youth Boost’.

Financed through a partnership with USAID and FHI 360, Youth Boost targets ‘at risk’ young men and boys from vulnerable communities, using cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) to build pro-social behaviours and dissuade them from engaging in delinquent activities.

Sandrina Davis, CEO of Grace & Staff, said: “We are very optimistic about the Youth Boost programme and have seen where participants have already demonstrated significant improvement in their behaviour, attitudes, and social skills. They are more respectful of rules and have implemented CBT principles, such as anger management techniques into their daily lives. The mentorship component also made a significant difference in the lives of the participants. We believe the programme will continue to decrease the likelihood of these young men engaging in reckless activities going forward.”

Youth Boost targeted 20 young men from the Majesty Gardens Community in Kingston. The first cohort of the project began in November 2021 and was comprised of 10 adolescents, ranging in age from 14 to 19 years, who had recently dropped out of high school.

Participants in Youth Boost began their transformational journey with CBT sessions delivered by Dr Curtis Sweeney, counselling psychologist at Grace & Staff.

Goal-oriented mentorship and educational assistance are also delivered by the Grace & Staff team.

At the end of the first cohort in February 2022, Youth Boost had inspired eight of its 10 participants to re-enroll in secondary school, with six of those eight now getting ready to sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examinations (CSEC) and City & Guild Examinations.

In April 2022, the second cohort of the Youth Boost programme enrolled 10 young men, aged 18-29. Cohort 2 also engaged in CBT sessions, goal-oriented mentorship and an eight-week course in construction skills training at the Excelsior Community College. In July 2022, participants in the recently concluded second cohort of Youth Boost began an eight-week internship to hone their construction skills and acquire first-hand knowledge of business operations to equip them for future employment.

A graduate of the second Youth Boost cohort, Tyreese Smith, commented: “Youth Boost has really helped me a lot. It has allowed me to shift my mindset from short-term thinking to long term. Before I had skills in construction, but I was never certified. Youth Boost has allowed me to certify my skills.”

Grace & Staff is a joint project between management and staff of the GraceKennedy Group, to facilitate the development of communities that border the company’s operations in Jamaica. Grace & Staff has indicated that it aims to expand Youth Boost to more communities as it continues to reshape the future of at-risk youth in a sustainable direction.