After two weeks of discipline and character-building training, 40 high school students graduated from the 2nd Chance Programme. The summer initiative, organized by the School Policing Division of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, has been running for four years and has impacted more than 100 students to date.
The programme was created in response to increasing concerns over at-risk students engaged in violence, ranging from school fights, stabbings, and drug use, to bringing weapons on campus.
The graduation ceremony took place on Thursday, August 28, at the Ivy L. Dumont Building on Thompson Boulevard. Among those in attendance were Assistant Commissioner of Police for Public Safety and School Policing, Dr. Chaswell Hanna; Superintendent Keith Ferguson, Officer-in-Charge of the School Police Division and Senior Under Secretary in the Ministry of Education, June Collie.
In his remarks, ACP Dr. Hanna congratulated the graduates and urged them to use the lessons learned to stay on the right path.
He also delivered encouraging news. “For those of you facing minor criminal charges, I will recommend to the Commissioner of Police that charges not be pursued, so that you do not carry a criminal record.”
Senior Under Secretary Collie emphasized that completing the programme helps students avoid life-altering consequences such as criminal records. She praised the Police Force and other partners for their commitment to youth empowerment and thanked them for supporting the government’s mission to educate and protect the nation’s children.
The ceremony also featured a heartfelt testimony from one participant, who reflected on her personal growth and experiences during the programme. The winning essay, centred on a trip to Atlantis and an encounter with dolphins, symbolized the opportunity for a “second chance at life”.
Over the course of the programme, students engaged in essay competitions, team-building exercises, discipline-focused training, motivational presentations by national leaders and the Bahama Host programme. They also visited the Nassau Cruise Port, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Base and Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.
By: Betty Vedrine/Bahamas Information Services
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