All for the boys!
CONTINUING its trend of engaging and inspiring Jamaicans through interactions with persons who are themselves accomplished, the J Wray and Nephew Foundation (JWNF) will have as presenters Americans Troy Kemp and Calvin Hadley for its ‘Spotlight Sessions’ — Focus on Boys.
The fora which are geared towards boys, parents, principals, teachers and other educators will take place at Jamaica Pegasus Hotel and Courtleigh Auditorium in Kingston from April 16-19, 2018.
The JWNF operates under the mantra ‘transforming lives and communities for a better Jamaica’ and focuses on three pillars — Education, Culture and Social Inclusion. At present its efforts are concentrated in the areas that surround its business operations at Spanish Town Road in Kingston, New Yarmouth in Clarendon and Appleton Estate in St Elizabeth.
Boys are numbered among society’s most at-risk in several of these communities and the JWNF’s aim is to raise the awareness and special needs of boys regarding education so they and those entrusted with shaping their character can change their circumstances.
Both presenters come armed with tremendous experience.
Kemp is the Executive Director of the National Center for the Development of Boys in Tennessee, where he works to improve the lives of boys by providing resources and programmes for parents, teachers, mentors and organisations committed to helping with their learning and development as they journey to manhood.
For 24 years, he was on the faculty at McCallie School as a Mathematics teacher, administrator, dorm parent and coach; earning awards for teaching excellence and mentoring boys. He served as Dean of Admissions and Associate Headmaster. A native of Riverhead, New York, Kemp is a graduate of Colgate University, where he played football.
A three-time Coach of the Year recipient, Kemp also guided his lacrosse teams to eight state titles.
Hadley is a Howard University alumnus who was appointed from September 2015 as the Ivy League Institution’s Student Ombudsman. His mission is to ensure that all student issues are heard and addressed appropriately and in a timely manner.
Hadley has worked in youth development for more than a decade and his passion for student success is driven largely by a desire to positively impact change in his community. Prior to his appointment, Hadley served as Executive Director of the Youth Scholar Academy at The Institute for Responsible Citizenship and was Program Manager of its first comprehensive personal and professional development program for young men of colour.
He has also negotiated numerous partnerships and launched several student programs, including a deal with the District of Columbia Public Schools for the creation of a dual-enrollment program that allows high school juniors and seniors to earn college credit at Howard University.
Both Kemp and Hadley are expected to significantly influence Jamaica’s youth at a forum titled ‘The Journey from Boyhood to Manhood’.
Over 300 boys from secondary institutions in Kingston, Clarendon and St Elizabeth will be engaged on Thursday April 19 in Courtleigh Auditorium’s amphitheatre setting, with messages crafted for their guidance and development. This will be preceded on Tuesday April 17 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, by a two-hour lunchtime parenting workshop, designed to expose parents to best practices, tactics and strategies for raising their boys. A similar forum will follow for principals and other educators.