AT just 12 years old, Shailene Thompson is already thinking like a creator.

A naturally curious and creative child who enjoys drawing and making posters, Shailene recently took her creativity a step further through the Creative Design Camp, an initiative designed to help children transform their ideas into tangible digital projects.

For Shailene, one of the most valuable lessons was learning to use Canva. But the experience went beyond learning a digital tool. During the camp, she developed a concept for a skincare app where users could purchase products including oil serums, perfumes, face masks and lotions.

“I created a skincare app,” Shailene explained. “You can buy my products through the app.”

Her participation in the camp was made possible through sponsorship from LASCO Financial Services Ltd, giving her access to an experience designed to strengthen her creativity, digital skills and confidence.

For her sister and guardian, Denia Morgan, the opportunity was particularly meaningful. “I’ve noticed that she was very curious. She’s naturally a child who loves to know more,” Morgan said.

Before attending the camp, Shailene had already demonstrated an interest in digital creativity, independently creating a YouTube channel where she edited videos and began building an audience.

“When I saw the opportunity for the camp, I felt like it was something that would have been very helpful for her,” Morgan said.

The Creative Design Camp was created in 2025 after its founder, Carey-Lee Dixon, identified a gap in how children were being exposed to creativity, design and technology.

Having spent years teaching adults about design, branding and digital tools through tutorials, workshops and professional development sessions, she began volunteering with children following her own career transition.

The experience sparked a new sense of purpose. “I genuinely believe God was redirecting me,” she said.

As she spent more time with young people, Dixon encountered children who were naturally curious about technology, design, and art but often lacked the confidence or knowledge to turn their ideas into something tangible.

“We are raising children in a digital world, so I believe education and learning experiences have to evolve with the world they are growing up in,” she said.

The programme is built around the idea that children should not only consume technology but learn how to create with it. They are guided from ideation to execution, developing concepts based on their interests, career aspirations or problems they see around them.

They explore branding, graphic design, video creation, website design, UI/UX principles, digital storytelling and app co-development, while also learning how to communicate ideas, solve problems, collaborate and respond to feedback.

The projects emerging from the programme demonstrate the breadth of young people’s creativity. The children were able to explore issues including crime and violence, homelessness, mental health, climate change and online safety.

Projects have included brand identities, logos, promotional graphics, videos, presentations, websites and app concepts. But Dixon said the most important outcomes are not necessarily what children produce, but how they begin to see themselves.

Many children arrive unsure about their ideas or hesitant to share them. Through peer activities, design challenges, industry sessions, and opportunities to present their work, they learn to communicate their ideas and take ownership of their creativity.

That transformation is something Morgan has witnessed in Shailene.

“She seems more confident in herself and more confident in her decisions,” Morgan shared.

“She takes more initiative.”

For Morgan, the development is especially significant because she works in the creative industry herself and understands the importance of early encouragement.

“What I’m seeing with Shailene and other young children is that because they have more initiative and opportunities such as this from a younger age, they have a firmer belief in what they want and what they can accomplish,” she said.

Following its launch in 2025 with just four children, the Creative Design Camp has since reached more than 300 young people through summer camps, school visits, pop-up sessions, career sessions and partnerships across Jamaica.

Its programmes have reached institutions including the Caribbean Christian School for the Deaf, Lister Mair/Gilby High School for the Deaf, Heinz Simonitsch School and St Jude’s Primary.

Partnerships with the Persue Foundation and the Gifted for Purpose Youth Leadership Programme have also helped expand the programme’s reach to children with hearing impairments and those from underserved communities.

One of the programme’s most powerful examples of impact has been the return of former student Danasha Smellie as a student volunteer. Having developed her own confidence and leadership skills through the programme, she returned to encourage younger participants, including Shailene.

During the camp, she supported one of the youngest students, who initially struggled with confidence. By the end of the programme, the child had become noticeably more willing to share her ideas and specifically credited Smellie for her encouragement.

Corporate support plays an important role in making these opportunities accessible.

Through its Sponsor-AChild initiative, the Creative Design Camp seeks to remove financial barriers for families while giving children access to digital tools, mentorship, industry exposure and creative education.

LASCO Financial Services Ltd has supported this initiative, including sponsoring Shailene’s participation in the camp. “At LASCO Financial Services, we believe that investing in our young people is an investment in Jamaica’s future. Supporting Shailene’s participation in the Creative Design Camp gave us an opportunity to help a young creative develop her skills, confidence and ideas. We believe our children should be empowered not only to consume technology, but to use it to create, innovate and solve problems.

When we give young people access to opportunities like these, we are helping them recognise their potential and equipping them to contribute meaningfully to the future,” expressed Samantha FullerMaragh, brand manager, card services.

For Morgan, that support was deeply personal.

When she first learned about the camp, she was concerned about whether she could afford the programme, despite knowing that it would be a valuable opportunity for her sister.

“I don’t think I would be able to afford this, but I just know this is where Shailene should be,” she recalled saying. “When I was 11, I would have loved to have someone like me who went the extra mile and put me in stuff that they saw where I have the potential to do great,” she said.

The Creative Design Camp planned to expand into after-school and weekend online programming in September, while continuing its school visits and pop-up sessions. It is also exploring ways to support educators in using digital tools in the classroom.

Ultimately, the programme’s goal extends beyond teaching children how to use Canva, design a website or create an app. It is about helping them understand that their ideas have value.

“I want them to leave thinking, ‘I can do this. My ideas matter. I have something unique to contribute, and there are people who believe in me,’” Dixon said.

For Shailene Thompson, that lesson is already taking shape.

She entered the camp as a creative child who enjoyed drawing and making posters. She left with a skincare app concept, stronger digital skills and greater confidence in her ability to create.

And with the support of organisations such as LASCO Financial Services Ltd, more Jamaican children are being allowed to discover what they can do with their ideas.

Because sometimes, a child’s biggest breakthrough begins with someone simply saying: “Your idea is worth exploring.”