Men take lead in Project STAR-supported community mentorship

A group of emerging community leaders from across Jamaica is gearing up to guide young people toward safer, more supportive futures through a newly launched mentorship programme implemented by Project STAR in collaboration with community leaders.

The programme, designed to foster safer community spaces, reduce harmful gender norms, and lay the groundwork for long-term social renewal, commenced recently with a two-day training workshop for select mentors from Rose Town and Parade Gardens in Kingston, May Pen in Clarendon, and Savanna-la-Mar in Westmoreland.

Sharise Staines-Appleby, community services lead at Project STAR, said the programme will target intervention to support men in reshaping attitudes, building healthier relationships, and promoting positive masculinity.

“Men and boys play a pivotal role in community transformation. By equipping male mentors with the right tools, we strengthen their ability to guide youths, reduce cycles of violence, and foster resilience. This programme positions mentors as pillars of their communities, creating ripple effects of trust, safety, and empowerment,” she said.

Training consultant Travis Graham, who facilitated the workshop, said the programme aims to strengthen the capacity of local leaders to support youths over a structured three-month period beginning in January.

“We’re developing and delivering a two-day mentorship programme for community leaders that Project STAR, in collaboration with residents, has identified from the areas they work in,” Graham explained. “The programme is designed to equip them with the skills to be agents of change and to provide guidance to their mentees by helping them respond to challenges and by opening up their networks to them with the support of Project STAR.”

TRAINING

Participants were trained in the fundamentals of mentorship, including identifying mentees, understanding their needs, establishing boundaries, and developing a three-month mentorship plan to guide interactions from January through March.

Nine community leaders are currently involved, many of whom are already informally mentoring youths in their communities. Graham noted that the workshop has been highly engaging.

“They have been extremely receptive. It has been very participatory. A lot of them are already mentors. A big part of this programme is for them to have a clear understanding of their expected roles,” he said.

Among those taking part is Erin Baldwin Easy from Denbigh, who joined the programme to better support vulnerable youths in his community.

“I recognised there are a number of youngsters in the community who are struggling, not really having an aim or direction,” Easy said. “This workshop really reminds me of what mentoring is about. It’s guiding somebody to achieve their goals, not doing it for them, but helping them work towards what they want.”

Easy added that he felt motivated to begin the mentorship phase. “I am just ready to go back to the community to see how many of these youngsters are willing to be mentored and to help them overcome the difficulties they’re having.”

Staines-Appleby anticipates that the mentorship programme will contribute to stronger, more resilient communities by offering consistent guidance, positive male role models, and support systems for youth. The mentoring cycle begins in January and runs through March, with participants expected to carry forward the skills and relationships well beyond the programme’s end.