Power of a Constructive Environment on Disenfranchised Youth: A Catalyst for Community Development

The most valuable endowment for the future economic and social development of Guyana resides in its youth, but many are inappropriately positioned to make the requisite contribution to Guyana’s advancement because they are high school dropouts. Functional illiteracy of many dropouts precludes the acquisition of a job and relegates them to a life of poverty, poor health, and possibly, incarceration. This research describes a qualitative study of the re-engagement of ten economically disadvantaged high school dropouts, ages 16 – 20, in a rural community in Guyana in remedial and soft skills for youth employment. The overall purpose of my study was to explore the influence of the training program offered at Beauty for Ashes Center, Beterverwagting, Guyana, on the participants’ re-engagement. Grounded theory was the method utilized in this research. The pilot project comprised a cohort of four males and six females recruited through purposive sampling. They received six hours of instruction at the Center each weekday during three trimesters. Data was collected from school records, observations, interviews, focus groups, and questionnaires. Multiple methods of data-collection facilitated triangulation. The inclusion of two independent professionals conducting group interviews also served to prevent observer bias. Observations were made at Beauty for Ashes Center for 88 hours over a period of four months where, as founder and director of the Center, my role was that of observer and participant. The data displayed represent interim outcome measures that are key indicators of the participants’ development. The study showed increased behavioral, emotional, and, to a lesser extent, cognitive engagement over that of pre-matriculation levels in 90% of the participants. The overall attendance of four participants was deemed unsatisfactory (below 79%). Also non-completion of homework by participants undermined their engagement efforts.