It is no coincidence that Colonel Woodburn Miller’s journey as an Educator in 1953 began simultaneously when he signed up as an adult volunteer with the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF). According to Colonel Miller, his decades serving in the JCCF and in the education system reflect his interest in youth development. “I have always been passionate about helping the...

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says that the Government’s early-stimulation/intervention strategy, which will be introduced in early-childhood institutions across the island, is aimed at ensuring that children “get the best start in life”. He said that the strategy, which borrows from best practices in Canada, Cuba, Finland, Trinidad and Tobago and parts of the...

The Ministry of National Security has intensified its efforts to tackle youth involvement in crime with the recent staging of six anti-gang sensitisation sessions. Approximately 255 young people benefited from the sessions, which were held across the island over two weeks from October 25 to November 7. These include youth offenders in juvenile centres, probationers, and unattached young people. Focus...

State Minister for Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, is calling on parents, teachers and caregivers to not only encourage play amongst children, but to look out for the telltale signs of abuse during this activity. Mr. Terrelonge was speaking at a forum focusing on the importance of play for children, at the Maxfield Park Children’s Home in...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is calling on Jamaica’s youth to reject crime and violence in their communities. He said that young people, as part of their civic duty, have a responsibility to renounce the influence of the dons and gangs and report any criminal activity. “It is the right thing, it is the honourable thing, it is...

For almost 20 years, the Spanish Town Skills Training Centre (STSTC) has been providing training for professionals, at-risk youth, non-certified and unskilled employees and employers, in partnership with the HEART Trust/NTA. Student at the institution, 19-year-old Alexis Dixon, has high praises for the opportunities being provided to her through the Centre. After leaving secondary school, Ms Dixon faced several job...

Wife of the Governor-General, Her Excellency the Most Hon. Lady Allen, is urging well-thinking Jamaicans to take the necessary steps to safeguard the society’s children and youth, and aid their holistic development. Noting that 33 per cent of the population are children and another 11.8 per cent are youth, aged 18 to 24, Lady Allen contended that “these are the...