Positive mentorship delivers improved academic performance and decreased drug usage for teens

Consultant psychologist and capacity building expert Georgia Crawford Williams has championed mentorship as an invaluable pathway for adolescents to achieve improved academic performance and decreased drug usage.

Citing statistical data, she divulged that “students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school, 37% less likely to skip a class and 10% more likely to graduate while studies show that mentored at-risk youth are 28% less likely to start using drugs and alcohol.” Crawford Williams’ comments came last Tuesday as she addressed separate workshops with high school students and mentors-in-training at the rebrand launch of JPS Power Up Energy Club that was hosted at the University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters. Her dual presentations on ‘A Guide to Mentorship’ and ‘The Role of the Mentee’ outlined the long-term benefits of the mentor-mentee relationship as one which fostered growth, and personal and professional development, that ultimately empowered mentees to achieve their potential. She advised that the key checklist towards a mentor’s success was for them to listen actively, ask open-ended questions, the mentors’ ability to identify their own strengths, and being aware of cultural differences between mentors and mentees.

Post-workshops, she explained that her “focus [for the mentors} was to have effective mentoring techniques. For the mentees, the emphasis was on maximizing their involvement in the Power Up Energy Club. I was very pleased with the interaction in both sessions. The mentors gained valuable insights into guiding their mentees, while the mentees learned how to fully engage with the club’s opportunities. The engagement and feedback from both groups were overwhelmingly positive, indicating appreciation and retention of the content.”

The launch event scored ringing endorsements from the teenagers and their educator chaperones in attendance. For St. Catherine High student Dorrianne Bennett, attending the launch proved a refreshing experience. “JPS Foundation has given high school students a platform with the Energy Club to change the world and make an impact within the Jamaican society. We can learn more and be innovative by opening our minds and connecting with each other about energy related matters,” the 17-year-old upper sixth former raved.
As to what she envisioned as climate-smart alternatives to standardised electricity, Bennett said given the vulnerability of Jamaica’s coastal areas to rising sea levels resulting in land loss and infrastructural damage, “there is a need for innovative energy solutions such as offshore wind farms or wave energy to diversify the energy mix and minimize carbon emissions.” The teen opined that the energy club provided her a welcome outlet to hone such skills as problem solving, critical thinking and leadership. She elaborated that through club membership, “I will be able to build stronger relationships with my peers and develop teamwork networking abilities that give me a sense of purpose towards contributing to a more sustainable future.
Ferncourt High School educator Milton Hayles expressed satisfaction with the various activities hosted by the JPS Foundation for the launch event. “My eyes were opened to the vast job opportunities afforded to our students. I was pleased to know they would now have access to mentors with the restructuring of the energy clubs. They can also see a clearer pathway as it pertains to their future and I hope they became more aware that energy is far more than just light,” he said.

Hayles, a physics teacher who has served as the school’s faculty director of the energy club for the past five years, reported that 35 students are currently enrolled in the Ferncourt club chapter.
One hundred and fifty-three students and 21 educators from St. Catherine, Calabar, Albert Town, Ferncourt, Claude McKay, Waterford, Merlene Ottey, Tarrant, York Castle, Jose Marti Technical, Ocho Rios, Holy Childhood and Muschett high schools comprised the participant count at the JPS-organised event.
Founded nine years ago, the former JPS Foundation Energy Club programme has undergone a rebrand as the Power Up Energy Club. The Foundation’s Head Sophia Lewis disclosed that revisions have seen an introduction of a detailed curriculum and accompanying selection of workbooks for students. “Teachers have been presented with guides to follow and we have a club governance structure that is documented. There will also be inter-club debating competitions, and ultimately, we want to do an innovation challenge or a public education challenge so students who are more technically inclined can go the innovation route, or for the more creative types, developing a social media campaign. All of this is geared towards the Foundation’s goal of creating a generation of climate change action heroes who are not afraid to innovate and create solutions to the problems of climate change,” she noted.