By Dave Kaiser
Minimizing youth gang culture and bullying in St. Kitts and Nevis schools and neighborhoods will be the goal of nine students visiting non-profit service organizations in the federation March 19-26 under the sponsorship of Everson Hull, the St. Kitts and Nevis Ambassador to the Organization of American States. The students will spend a majority of their week at Operation Future and help out at Care Nevis, an understaffed dog shelter; and Hands Across the Sea, an organization preparing to open a library.
When the group arrives in St. Kitts they will be hosted by the Ministry of Culture. They will visit the ministry, several local service organizations and tour the island.
Plans to visit the federation were finalized on March 2 when Everson Hull spoke at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. During his visit to the college Hull described the island’s politics, education system and economy to an audience of students.
The students are affiliated with the Hamilton College chapter of Global Volunteers, an international organization that sends volunteers to help out with community service organizations around the world. Global Volunteers works in close partnership with local groups to raise children’s potential by helping provide essential services. Volunteers assist with comprehensive health, nutrition and educational projects to contribute their talents and personality to community leaders’ vision.
Dan McMullin, an Operation Future spokesman told The Observer the students will focus on bullying in nine primary schools in Nevis.
“We hope to do three presentations on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, McMullin said. “We are hoping the youth will utilize Operation Future’s Bullying Powerpoint presentation and put their own spin on it.”
The visitors will have a full schedule, March 25 they will visit the revitalization of Operation Future’s Creative Youth Academy in Cotton Ground and assist with the final preparations of opening Operation Future’s Library and reading center. That same day the students will participate in the annual kite-flying event at the flats near St. John’s Parish. The group was hosted by Jorn Evik at a condominium in the Carino Development in Hamilton Estate.
Operation Future educates children about the dangers of crime, violence and drugs, while providing a healthy after-school environment.
Emily Rubenstein ’16 and Jenna Crawford ’17 are leading the trip. Participants include Denise Mesa Reyes ‘16, Patricia Taik ’16, Sindy Chen ’19, Conrad Hsiang ’19, Max Kohn ’19, Jesse Yu ’19 and Phoebe Keyes ’19. Government Department faculty Heather Sullivan and Joel Winkelman will accompany the students.
“Our goals will be to interact with, educate and embrace the youth of St. Kitts and Nevis, positively guide them and nurture their young minds to heighten their awareness about crime and point them to a straight and narrow path,” explained trip leader 17-year-old Emily Rubenstein. “We are volunteering at the Creative Youth Academy to work on an anti-bullying campaign with students after school hours.”
Established in 2013, Global Volunteers is following a new format for this year’s trip. In past years, students have traveled to Nicaragua where they have been performing physical labor on community farms. These trips relied on a third-party organization to coordinate volunteer opportunities. The Nevis trip has been planned solely by Hamilton students and staff. Coordinated with the assistance of Director of Community Outreach Amy James and College Chaplain Jeff McArn, Global Volunteers has communicated with in-country organizations to pinpoint venues in most need of assistance.
As Nevis is the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, who was one of Hamilton College’s first trustees, the students plan to visit his birthplace. In preparation for this unique opportunity, Christian Goodwillie, director and curator of Hamilton College’s Special Collections and Archives, shared documents from the college’s Beinecke Lesser Antilles Collection related to Nevis and Alexander Hamilton with the group.
Operation Future was initiated in 2005 by Police Constable Lauston Percival of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force. Their goal was to develop an interactive program beginning in the school system. The department’s aim was to educate children about the temptations they face in school and neighborhoods and to enhance the image of police officers from a simple enforcement figure to a friend, mentor and confidant. Today, Operation Future members are drawn from all segments of society and include those with a career in criminal justice, including police officers, judges, prison officers, intervention workers, counselors and academics. Members include professionals who make a living in audio, video and performing arts; teachers, mothers, fathers, students, radio personalities and fashion designers.
Operation Future has programs for primary, (The Discovery Club) and Secondary (The Back Against the Wall Program) Schools, programs in the community (The Creative Youth Academy) and in the Prison (Rehabilitation through Music and Art).
