The Charlotteville Police Youth Club and Chosen Hands (Art and Wellness Programme) collaborated to host a workshop titled It’s Cool to be Kind.
Thirty standard five students and teachers from the Charlotteville Methodist and Charlotteville Seventh Day Adventist Schools benefited from the workshop, which was supported by Sagicor, a media release said.
The workshop began by engaging the students with conversations led by PCs Mills and Virgil and WPC Corbin-Clarke of the Special Victims Department and Schools Intervention Team, which are attached to the Shirvan Road Police Station. Discussions centred on conflict resolution and building emotional intelligence.
Mills encouraged the students to develop their "superpowers" by considering alternative perspectives and resolving conflicts respectfully.
“We must learn to respect each other and not allow others’ words or actions to negatively impact our day,” he said.
He also encouraged students to support one another as they transition to secondary school, adopting the mantra, “Be a Buddy, Not a Bully.”
Founder and creative director of Chosen Hands Anika Plowden-Corentin led an interactive art session. With the support of volunteers, mentors, and teachers, participants got the opportunity to express their key learnings from the workshop through creating art pieces. This hands-on activity reinforced the workshop's messages and empowered the students to use art as a tool for personal development and self-expression, the release said.
Plowden-Corentin said in the release, “We are absolutely delighted to partner with the Charlotteville Youth Club for the second year in a row, and grateful to Sagicor for assisting us to make it happen.
"This youth empowerment workshop focuses on using art as the vehicle of choice for reinforcing critical uplifting messages. The Chosen Hands Art and Wellness Workshop is dedicated to promoting positive social change through the arts. It was gratifying to work with such a delightful group of children who indicated they enjoyed the various aspects of the day.”
Asha Nabbie, vice-president, marketing and communications for Sagicor, said the insurance company recognises the importance of supporting workshops like It’s Cool to be Kind.
“Programmes like this promote educational enrichment and youth development, with the added benefit of utilising art and creativity to address tough social issues. In times like this, our children are facing increased stress and challenges in their lives and it is incumbent that organisations like Sagicor support the NGO community as this will result in more positive outcomes that benefit our entire society.”
Sagicor has been providing support to various initiatives led by Chosen Hands since 2020, the release said.
Moore, who is part of the Schools Intervention Team and the Charlotteville Police Youth Club, emphasised the significance of this workshop.
“We are hoping to collaborate and implement an anti-bullying campaign at both schools to raise awareness and foster a deeper understanding of what
