00:00Classrooms were transformed into spaces for open conversation as students at Aranguas North Secondary School engaged with professionals from law
00:09enforcement, mental health and community development as part of the Ministry of Homeland Security's Special Psychosocial Intervention and Educational Engagement
00:19Initiative.
00:19The program is designed to equip young people with life skills, build resilience and expose them to positive role models
00:28before they face the risks associated with crime.
00:31It's society being represented by the criminologists, the psychologists, prison service, TTPS and other state and non-state actors coming
00:38to be able to engage our nation's children, to be able to assist them to be more resilient, to make
00:43better choices and also to ensure that they appreciate and understand how important this opportunity for education is.
00:49We recognize we cannot charge, we cannot prosecute our way out of this and it's important for us to look
00:54at preventative measures.
00:55The program aims to strengthen resilience, improve decision making and remind the students that education and opportunity can provide alternatives
01:03to crime.
01:04Former West Indies All-Rounder Dwayne Bravo used his own story to inspire students, reminding them that success begins with
01:12the right mindset and clear goals.
01:15It's very important and especially when I have these different professionals come in to give their story and share and
01:20speak and stuff.
01:22If you get captured and you know you had like maybe closer to 50, 60 kids here this morning.
01:30If you get five of them that when they leave this room that they change their mind how they think
01:35of life and give them a little structure of how they set goals and set targets and try to achieve
01:42them.
01:44You know so every speaker had a different message and I'm sure each and one of them will take away
01:50a particular message and again that would not happen if the program wasn't on.
01:55Bravo also encouraged the students not to measure their future solely by examination results.
02:01The kids now are faced with so much pressure that the only way you can be successful is if you
02:06educate it and I think that's not the case.
02:10Education is important. If you can do the balance, if you can strike the balance then it's perfect but if
02:17you can't it's not the end of the world.
02:19And I think there's too much pressure from parents, from society that even if you don't have your subjects, if
02:26you're not dedicated, there's nowhere in this world for you.
02:29The ministry says initiatives like this will continue as part of its wider strategy to address the social factors that
02:36contribute to crime while empowering young people to make positive life choices.
02:41Charlotte Kisto, TV6 News.
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