A new initiative has started in primary schools to address rising youth violence.
JSR Enterprises, in partnership with Cabot Saint Lucia, has launched the Primary Schools Peer Counsellors Workshops — a transformative programme designed to equip students with emotional intelligence, conflict resolution skills and self-awareness.
JSR founder and director, Jonathan St Rose, a youth development advocate, said he started the programme because of increasing youth violence and after pursuing specialised training in conflict management.
The initiative is built on three pillars: reducing violence against children, reducing community-based violence and facilitating change agents in schools.
Regarding the first pillar, JSR said it had already reached 117 schools, engaging 45 765 students, and, by extension, 350-500 youths in summer camps through the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
On the second, the organisation runs rehabilitation programmes for former inmates, offering psychosocial, financial and reintegration support to reduce recidivism. St Rose noted that some ex-inmates have even become community advocates for child protection.
To develop change agents, workshops train students and teachers in emotional intelligence, conflict management, and spiritual intelligence, which the founder defined as “self-awareness in the sense of the power of the words, the power of the mind, the power of imagination.”
During the week, workshops were held in 15 schools in southern Saint Lucia and 15 in the north.
JSR is expanding beyond the classroom, working with community organisations and mentoring schemes such as Our Boys Matter and the CVI programme which target at-risk young men.
