For those with an interest in promoting health and overall wellbeing in young people, this unique project is well suited to you. Based in local schools, volunteers act as wellbeing ambassadors with a focus on emotional and physical health.
It’s well documented that poverty, dysfunctional family structures and other social challenges can have a long term impact on the development of young people. With limited resources, time and knowledge there can be little or no support for children and young people who have these kinds of day to day stresses, leading to poor emotional well-being.
The Child and Youth Development project seeks to equip children with the skills to understand, cope with and improve their emotional and physical intelligence and resilience. You’ll engage students in conversations about well-being, encouraging them to talk about feelings in a way that helps them to understand their own emotions. In a country that stigmatizes mental illness, your role as a volunteer is to promote mental health and breakdown stereotypes.
You will create and deliver workshops and offer one-on-one support to students in order to help them deal with any mental health issues and promote long-term wellness practices. This will include providing support to young people with learning needs, facilitating health workshops, managing behavior and conflict situations, creating boundaries and supporting young people to express emotions.
This project is ideal for those studying psychology, social work or international development. It will develop your practical skills in group management, facilitation and also your reflective skills about your own role and personal development.
To take part on this project, you need to be at least 18 years old and have one years relevant experience or study in psychology, social work, education or international development. Volunteers are also required to complete a 12-hour online training program in managing challenging behavior in Jamaican schools. This is an accredited certification that we recommend you complete the course before starting your volunteer program, in order to be as effective as possible. The program is delivered independently by UK-based Neuro Champions and costs an additional US$200.
Please note that during school exams and holidays (early January, April, July - August, and late December), this project closes temporarily. Volunteers will need to choose another project to support if you can only travel in these times. Animal Care, Business and Community Development are available year-round, or volunteers can assist in a local summer camp for children between July and August.
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