International Development Division : IDD
June 2009
Lasting Impact: USAID, World Bank Recognize EDC's Jamaica Youth Program Two Years On
A group of young, Jamaican men is making a positive difference in its impoverished community--and demonstrating that the effects of successful youth programming outlast the program.
The current issue of FrontLines, the newsletter of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), features the Education for All (EFA) Youth Challenge Grant Program in Jamaica. The program, active from 2006 to 2007, addressed the education and employment challenges of urban boys and young men in the Grants Pen neighborhood of Kingston. Due to its lasting impact, the project is among those to be showcased at the Caribbean Conference on Keeping Boys Out of Risk, co-sponsored by World Bank and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
The EFA Youth Challenge Grant Program, implemented by EDC and a Jamaican partner, People’s Action for Community Transformation (PACT), worked in Jamaica with “unattached” youth–that is, young people who were separated from traditional vehicles for positive youth development such as schools, technical and vocational training schemes, entry-level jobs, or service learning opportunities. This separation put these young men at a high risk for anti-social behavior such as crime and drug use. The project generated opportunities for these youth to “re-attach” by acquiring music and aquatic skills, as well as entrepreneurship and transferable basic skills to help increase their livelihood opportunities. It strengthened key livelihood capabilities such as innovation, decision making, and leadership, thereby preparing youth to engage in positive roles in the world of work, family, and community life.
Applying the program's lessons
Many of the young men who graduated from the program nearly two years ago are still actively applying what they learned. The USAID newsletter highlights the accomplishments of three such participants, Ramone Jeffrey, Damion Stewart, and Andre Fairclough. The trio of young men founded a recording label and created a business plan for a recording studio to be located in Grants Pen. Although the project officially ended in 2007, a number of participants still meet on their own and receive mentoring from PACT.
The EFA Youth Challenge Grant Program, also implemented in Uganda and South Africa, is just one of the youth-focused activities sponsored by USAID through the Educational Quality Improvement Program 3 (EQUIP3). Led by EDC, EQUIP3 is designed to improve earning, learning, and skill development opportunities for out-of-school youth in developing countries.
IDD is a division of Education Development Center (EDC), an international, nonprofit organization with more than 325 projects dedicated to enhancing learning, promoting health, and fostering a deeper understanding of the world.
© 2009 Education Development Center