Registration is now open for parents/guardians of first form students in secondary school to sign up their child or ward for Project S.O.F.T. (Safeguarding Our Future Today) residential camp hosted by the National Council on Substance Abuse (NCSA).
The NCSA will return to a face-to-face format when it comes off from November 3 to 6, at the Eastern Caribbean Camp in Ruby, St. Philip, under the theme: Choices! Know the Faces…Make the Choice.
Registration will be done on a first-come, first-served basis, so persons are urged to contact the NCSA at 535-6272, or send an email to makeada.bourne@barbados.gov.bb, or agnetha.roach@barbados.gov.bb.
Camp Coordinator, Makeada Bourne explained: “As we continue here at the NCSA to highlight the dangers and consequences of using illegal substances, we want to emphasise that it is all about choices, but very important is that we give you the facts.”
This year’s camp will cater to 40 children who sat the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination 2022, and are now in first form. It is designed to prepare them to deal with the challenges they are likely to face at school as they transition into teenagers.
Topics to be covered include anger management, stress management, the effects of drug use, drug refusal skills, how to handle bullying in schools, loss and grief, mental wellness, how to communicate with your parents and how to communicate with your adolescent.
The NCSA is assuring parents that strict health standards will be observed to ensure the safety of participants despite the relaxation of COVID-19 protocols.