All systems are in place for the National Council on Substance Abuse’s (NCSA) annual summer camp, Project S.O.F.T. (Safeguarding Our Future Today) 2021, which will run from Monday, September 6, to Friday, September 10.
The one-week camp, now in its 19th year, will be held online, free of cost, under the theme: Your Choice…Your Consequences, from 8:45 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. daily, on the Zoom platform.
It caters to students who sat the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination, and will cover topics such as anger management, stress management, effects of drug use, drug-refusal skill, how to handle bullying in schools, loss and grief, mental wellness, how to communicate with your parents, and how to communicate with your adolescent.
Substance Abuse Prevention Officer and Camp Coordinator, Makeada Bourne, said the theme was relevant, as the NCSA continues to highlight the dangers and consequences of using illegal substances.
The camp is also designed to prepare children and their families for entry into secondary school, by discussing the many challenges they are likely to face at school. It also helps them to transition into teenagers, and how to deal with those changes effectively.
In addition, the NCSA has crafted a programme to allow children and parents to continue developing their skills into 2022, through a series of interactive online sessions, which will include webinars, videos and self-paced activities. Interested persons are urged to call Ms. Bourne at 535-6272, or email ncsa.info@barbados.gov.bb.