One year after the first phase of the St Ann Justice of the Peace (JP) Initiative was launched, the second phase rolled out last Friday at Exchange Primary School.

Among those in attendance at the launch were several Justices of the Peace as well as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Justice, Marisa Dalrymple-Philibert, who brought greetings.

Pastor and JP, Wesley Boynes who is also a custos commando, reflected on the first phase of the initiative.

“The reception from students was excellent. Guidance counsellors across the participating schools reported great enthusiasm, with students eagerly looking forward to each interaction with their mentors. Engagement was consistent and meaningful, whether through phone calls, in-school visits, and supervised outings and educational trips,” Boynes told Observer Online on Thursday.

“Beyond the structured sessions, the mentorship proved particularly impactful when several mentees faced personal tragedies, including the loss of relatives and, in one instance, the loss of a family home due to a fire. The presence and support of their mentors provided stability, encouragement and helped to significantly minimise the negative impact on their well-being and schooling,” he continued.

The mentorship initiative’s core objectives include youth empowerment, educational support and community leadership.

“The programme is designed to build a stronger society through deliberate investment in our youth. Its core objectives are to transfer core values from our experienced generation to the next, reinforcing clearly defined principles for strong citizenship; to provide actionable guidance that builds confidence, self-esteem and personal development; to foster greater academic engagement, strengthen character development and improve readiness for the grade six transition and the Primary Exit Profile (PEP); to also connect Justices of the Peace with primary-school youth as accessible, positive role models within their own communities; and to collaborate closely with guidance counsellors to provide structured group mentorship at least once per month,” said Boynes.

Providing young minds with the resilience, life skills and values needed to make positive choices and to steer them away from juvenile delinquency is another objective of the initiative.

Phase two, according to Boynes, will expand across the parish of St Ann.

“At least two schools in each of the four zones of St Ann will be selected. The Mentorship Management Team for each zone is currently finalising the selection in collaboration with school leaders, the Ministry of Education, Youth, Skills and Information, and participating Justices of the Peace,” Boynes disclosed.

And what are the objectives of phase two??

“In addition to advancing the objectives outlined above, phase two is about scale and sustainability. The number of grade five students in St Ann greatly outnumbers the available Justices of the Peace. We therefore intend to broaden the programme to include other upstanding citizens of the parish who wish to serve as mentors.

“Interested persons who hold a valid police record and can provide two recommendations from Justices of the Peace will be eligible to apply to participate as mentors in this initiative. This will allow us to reach more children while maintaining the integrity and values of the programme,” the custos commando explained.

Custos Commando, pastor and JP, Wesley Boynes.