Basseterre: St. Kitts, Tuesday, 27th July 2021: The St. Kitts National Youth Parliament Association (SKNYPA) is in its second year of providing assistance to students transitioning from primary to secondary school by way of an academic scholarship through its Ward-Hanley Scholarship and Mentorship Program.
Speaking on behalf of SKNYPA, Malakhi Ferguson, Public Relations Officer stated, “this scholarship and mentorship program is geared to empower young people through their first year of high school”.
Explaining the particulars, Mr. Ferguson clarified that the scholarship and mentorship program is only available to those individuals who will be enrolled in any of the public secondary schools within the federation.
“To be eligible for this scholarship, you [the student] would have to be transitioning from a public primary school or a private primary school into a public high school. You would be assisted in monetary contribution and through mentorship by one of our members”, he said.
“They [recipient] would also be given a specific mentor who would be able to assist them [recipient] by giving them the support needed to navigate through this first year of high school. The mentor is trained not only to assist in the academics of their mentee but also in a holistic approach.
They [the mentors] will be trained on a continuous basis to meet these needs, such as social changes, educational needs and needs in their personal life. These mentors will be able to assist on any level during this year and possibly beyond that first year of high school”, stated Mr. Ferguson.
Recipients of this initiative will not only receive monetary assistance but will be exposed to training that will help foster civic responsibility.
“The “to be” mentees will be afforded the opportunity to undergo certain training such as conflict resolution, motivational support and educational training. SKNYPA believes that these training will significantly impact the character development of the to-be mentees”, noted Mr. Ferguson.