Sandals Whitehouse’s Poetry and Presentation Camp ends on a high
TWENTY-EIGHT YOUNGSTERS from Westmoreland and St Elizabeth recently participated in the first ever Poetry and Presentation Summer Camp, facilitated by Sandals Whitehouse European Village and Spa.
The camp, driven by the slogan ‘Play with your words – create your poetic masterpiece’, ran from July 27 to August 2 at the Whitehouse Branch Library. Youngsters between the ages of eight and 16 were given the opportunity to work with writers, English teachers, actors from the Tight Theatre Company, and representatives from the Jamaica Cultural and Development Commission’s St Elizabeth office. The week culminated with a grand poetry show during which participants took to the stage on Sunday, August 2, to showcase their poetic talents to colleagues, family members, and the wider community.
The camp, conceptualised by Sandals Whitehouse’s General Manager Courtney Miller and hosted by the resort’s public relations department, represented the resort chain’s commitment to the holistic development of youth.
“The results of the camp were exactly what we hoped for. Not only were the campers’ writing skills developed, but also their confidence and poise. Many of them recognised their talent there, and we saw them grow in confidence throughout the week,” Miller said.
The youngsters also received formal training on stage presentation and public speaking from JCDC’s parish manager for St Elizabeth, Casmarine Daley. They also benefitted from life skills training through sessions on self-esteem, conflict resolution, goal setting, teamwork, self-value, and leadership, conducted by Sandals Whitehouse managers Chris Ghita and Girdeen Myers, as well as Camp Hope’s Suzette Hardeen.
Sandals Whitehouse’s Public Relations Manager and Camp Coordinator Jervene Simpson expressed happiness at being part of the initiative and pride in the youngsters. “This is the camp’s first year and we are already having children wanting to sign up for next summer. Next year, we hope to increase the number of available spaces so more youngsters can be given a voice through poetry and presentation. This camp really touched many of our participants. Many of them didn’t know they could write poems and stand in front of scores of people to present their pieces.” She also hopes that the youngsters will continue to apply all they have learnt, put their thoughts on paper, and share their creativity with the world.
One participant, Alessandra Brown, who walked away with the prize for top student in the highschool category, said, “Camp was so much fun! I learnt so many things that I didn’t know much about, met a lot of new people, and bonded so well with the campers and our camp coordinators. My confidence level soared throughout the week, especially after learning about all the presentation techniques. I felt really good sharing my ‘Mi Culcha’ poem and getting rave reviews from the audience. Next year I am definitely signing up early for camp.”
All camp participants received a daily complimentary meal from Sandals Whitehouse, camp-branded T-shirts, and back-toschool packages courtesy of the Sandals Foundation.