Inspirational youth camp to link with schools

WEDNESDAY, SEPTMBER 21: Anti-gang organization CARTEL is planning to expand its island-based camp to cater to young men during the school year.

Pastor Leroy Bean said the summer youth empowerment camp at White’s Island had been a success. He said around 90 youngsters learned about how to steer clear of criminal gangs and lead positive lives during the ten-week camp.

They were taught vocational skills, including plumbing, electronics and commercial fishing, as well as life skills, including anger-management.

Now Pastor Bean, whose group leases the island, is planning to offer daily sessions for youngsters during the school year.

He wants schools to send ‘whomever they feel would benefit from the programme’ to White’s Island one-day-a-week to work with CARTEL’s youth coaches and counsellors.

He is also hoping schools will consider sending troubled youngsters to the island as an alternative to suspension or expulsion.

The summer camp was funded by a private donor and Pastor Bean is hopeful of receiving further funding for the next phase of the project.

He said the aim was to offer a different approach to learning for young men who were not functioning well within the normal school environment.

He believes the project offers a more practical approach and is focused on the specific needs of the ‘target group’ involved.

The summer camp, said Pastor Bean, worked with several children who had been exposed to gang violence in one way or another.

“We’ve had children, nephews, cousins of people who have been involved in gangs or affected by gang violence in some way.

“They are hearing about gangs in the community. We have to get in early and work with them.

“We’ve been offering group sessions, vocational training, life skills as well as education on drugs and gangs.”

He said the project could run with a volunteer staff but was looking for funding to expand.

“The plan is to work with the school system and any agency that wants to work with us.

“We have several schools interested and we would look to do one or two schools each day so that these children would be coming out to the island once-a-week.

“We’d ask the schools to pick the students that could most benefit from the programme.”

He added that the response of youngsters and parents to the summer camp had shown the need in the community for the type of service CARTEL was offering.

“I saw changes in many of the young men over the summer. Many parents have asked us to follow up with their children since the camp finished.

“We’ve seen a real need for this type of focus on this particular group.”

The camp involved meditation sessions and group discussions on daily themes like ‘choices’ the ‘power of no’ and ‘what makes a gang’.

The boys were also challenged to make a circuit box from scratch during an electrical course and learned the tricks of the trade form commercial fishermen.

Youth and Families Minster Glenn Blakeney paid a visit to the camp over the summer.