Jamaica Professional Youth Workers Association: International Youth Work Week 2021

The impact of youth work often goes unrecognized but as we continue to work towards recognition and professionalization, the journey continues. This year in a post-pandemic era with much displacement of nations, communities, and our target partners youth, we continue our mission as youth development innovators. The theme of youth work week 2021 ‘Champions of Youth Work’ echoes our sentiments here in Jamaica that youth workers are championing national development through their vehicle, youth development work.

Since the 1970s volunteers and assigned staff from the community, government, and non-government have been acidulously engaging youth in all types of settings. While no organized calculation is available for the contributions of these champions, we know that without their contributions the struggles of youth and by extension the nation would have been significantly greater. Hence, this year we reminisce on our engagements with youth and while we reflect, we also rejoice at the impact we see in the lives of some of the youth we have been fortunate to work with.

This year we ‘big up’ our youth workers across government, non-government, and community groups. You serve the nation and the world well. We have taken the time to mention a few by name but they represent the many we applaud. Big up to Champion Claudette Pious comedian, businesswoman, actress, and social entrepreneur of Children’s First, Champion Andre Wilson commercial and social entrepreneur of Youth for Development Foundation Network, Champions Latoya & Miguel ‘Steppa’ Williams, commercial and social entrepreneurs, community activist, dub-poet and performing artiste of Forward Step Foundation and the many more champions out there! Big Up staff at all Youth Information Centers and National Youth Service! Your work continues through the generations of formal and informal youth workers, youth leaders, volunteers, and entrepreneurs that you have enabled development for. While we hope that an investment will be made to analyze the impact of youth workers in Jamaica, we certainly will not wait to applaud their sacrifice. As youth development work advocates, we continue to herald the cause of youth and the viable response we provide. We look forward to continuing training, developing programs, supporting community and non-government organizations, and promoting the social enterprise movement.

This year we have also chosen to highlight our very own leader and founder Tanya Merrick for her extensive contributions to youth development work as a science, process, approach, and practice. Her impact as a Senior Champion will last many generations to come. She sought not only to improve the youthscape and youth development agenda but also to improve the practice among practitioners in Jamaica, and the Caribbean and Commonwealth regions. Her knowledge and efficacy in youth development as an approach and practice have transcended other sectors. This is seen in her creation of the Reconnect2 youthfulness model and service, where she uses the tools of youth development work to empower adults across several industries including banking, agriculture, education, and enterprise development. We benefit tremendously from the fruits of her labor in the many training and professionalization programs she has developed and delivered. Your work and legacy are the platforms on which we build.

Bearing in mind the humility in which Tanya serves, we have also asked her to highlight a young person that she personally has engaged that is now having a significant impact on youth development. Because as youth workers we employ the values of our practice, diversity, non-discrimination, and participation despite the background of any young person and our only motivation is youth development. And we work tirelessly never knowing who those young people will become. As a result, the impact of youth work has changed the sociopolitical and economic landscape of Jamaica and the world with many young people engaged from the sector taking up positions of leadership themselves in many spheres.

This year we recognize for youth work week our first Youth Work Impact Award. This is being awarded to a young person who is a direct recipient of youth work and as a result, is involved in youth development. Our Senior Champion has identified Jackson Smith of Fantasy Wings. She recalls Jackson and his younger brother and sister visiting the Portmore Youth Information Center and in need of support to adjust to the local culture as they had recently migrated to Jamaica from the United Kingdom. They were daily visitors to the center and participated in most of the center's services and activities. She recalls that they were intelligent well-mannered kids that were not afraid to ask for help and embraced her mentorship. She kept in touch with him and many youths she engaged with over the years through social media and so was pleased to see his personal success as a pilot but also his initiative to engage other young people across the United Kingdom.

Fantasy Wings was founded by Jackson Smith in 2019 following the success of the Fantasy Mentoring program. As a young Black man who battled adversity en route to gaining his own Pilot’s License and a degree in Aviation, he was determined to make it easier for other young Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people and women to access the same opportunities he fought to get. Fantasy Wings’ goal is to give BAME people, and women a platform to enter and excel in the Aviation industry or become commercial airline pilots through expert-led workshops, conferences, mentoring, and real flight training.

This young man through his work is engaging children, youth, their families, communities, an industry, and nations. This is the impact of youth development work, and this is the evidence that the practice of youth development is a viable tool in social, political, economic, and national development.

Let us take the time this year to reminisce as youth workers and share the memories of our work with colleagues, families, and friends as well as the youth around us. And let us begin to share together to extract the many lessons learned that can build our profession moving forward. Jamaica Professional Youth Workers Association continues since its inception in 2006 to work with youth partners and build a collective that can skillfully utilize the principles and practices of youth development work. Because we know youth work works, we continue to invest in the innovation of our beloved practice.