Every MYF project includes these five vital programme components to enhance its positive impact on every protégé.
1. Vocational Skills Training/Workplace Readiness
As a part of our ongoing partnership with Jamaica’s National Training/Service Agency – the HEART NSTA Trust, beneficiaries of MYF programmes can enrol in various vocational and educational courses. The project sponsors cover their non-fee expenses for attending HEART Academies or other training options. Upon completing their courses and final exams, they receive nationally respected certificates or diplomas. Additionally, MYF protégés may receive specialised skill training from employers who partner with the Foundation in non-traditional or other professional areas. MYF beneficiaries have successfully received training in construction, food preparation and service, film and TV production, early childhood education, customer service, information technology, and more.
2. Life Skills or ‘Soft Skills’
The skills traditionally taught to children and youth during their upbringing and schooling are not limited to academic knowledge. Non-academic skills such as communication, teamwork, emotional management, problem-solving, decision-making, self-confidence, employment readiness, and other life skills are vital for success in life and the workplace. However, these skills are often absent in the circumstances of vulnerable youngsters living in underserved communities. MYF’s Life Skills workshops address this issue using an interactive Passport to Success (PTS) curriculum. Developed by the International Youth Foundation and refined over the past 18 years, PTS has been successfully used in over 80 countries and is gaining popularity among educators and youth workers in Jamaica.
3. Individual Mentoring
Mentoring has been a positive and supportive relationship for thousands of years. Even today, it is still highly endorsed. In a monitored relationship, the MYF Foundation provides each beneficiary with a caring adult mentor for one year. Our volunteers are recruited, screened, and trained on the “do’s and don’ts” of mentoring. They are briefed on effective communication, goal setting, and current issues that challenge today’s youth. The prospective mentees are also briefed on what to expect from a mentor and how to play a positive role in the relationship.
During the training workshop, mentors and mentees are introduced to each other and encouraged to choose their partners through a “matching” exercise. If the pairing does not work out, new mentor-mentee pairing can occur. Many mentor-mentee pairs develop into ongoing friendships, and several former mentees have returned to offer their service as MYF mentors. The Foundation is deeply grateful for the outstanding contributions of our volunteer mentors, who join us daily to make this a better, happier world for young Jamaicans facing challenges.
4. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
In 2022, MYF introduced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) as a critical tool under its Strategic Pillars. CBT is a people-based intervention that focuses on individuals and groups who are at risk of perpetrating violence. Trained specialists conduct several sessions to help at-risk or youth offenders evaluate their thinking patterns and modify them to encourage healthy decision-making. In May 2022, MYF participated in a CBT Transforming our Perspective (TOP) workshop, which focused on the 18-session TOP CBT Curriculum, theories, and counselling techniques. The USAID/FHI360/Local Partner Development Program funded the four-day training.
The first beneficiaries of these newly acquired skills were 16 at-risk young males at Haile Selassie High School in Kingston. The experience was positive, and one participant suggested additional ways of administering the therapeutic tools. In 2023, MYF extended its CBT delivery to 12 Denham Town High School students as part of its Positive YUTE Project (PYP), funded by USAID through Democracy International’s Positive Pathways Program.
5. Paid Internships and Job Placement
Internships are one of the essential components of MYF’s mission to change lives. By offering at-risk youth a chance to experience work first-hand, internships provide a real-life experience different from school, home, or community life. Additionally, internships are an excellent way to connect unemployed young people with potential employers and managers. Sometimes, short-term internships can lead to permanent employment with the host organisation. Even if a job isn’t immediately available, the business owner or manager can provide valuable recommendations for responsible, punctual, and diligent interns.
MYF has partnered with large corporations, small businesses, government departments, and non-governmental organisations to provide internships to Jamaican youth. We are incredibly grateful to these professionals for partnering with us to help young people prepare for a successful future.