Dakota, Achieve

Dakota’s blossoming skills and confidence have led to big changes, including a new leadership role at school.

‘Before the programme I was bottled up and in a shell… the Achieve programme has helped me to come out of that shell.’

When fifteen-year-old Dakota’s school principal recommended that she join the Achieve programme, she was unsure at first, thinking it might be boring – but she was willing to give it a try. The Achieve sessions have become a highlight of Dakota’s week, and have played a key role in helping her to unlock her potential. ‘My favourite thing about school is that I am involved in a programme that can help me better myself,’ she explains.

Achieve, delivered in Barbados by our partner Supreme Counselling for Personal Development (SCPD), runs through school-based clubs facilitated by specially trained teachers. Aimed at young people at risk of underachieving, the programme focuses on building core skills and confidence through hands-on activities in small groups, helping to set students up for success.

Achieve gives young people the chance to learn by doing, boosting skills from resilience to reliability, from setting goals to solving problems, with repeated practice in a supportive environment. ‘It involved lots of activities,’ Dakota recalls, listing examples ranging from cricket to creative word games. ‘They were very interactive and they encouraged teamwork, which was the point.’

Communication and relationships

But the Achieve programme has been far more than just an activity hub for Dakota.

‘It was a space for me to also vent about things that I had on my mind,’ she explains. ‘It wasn’t just about teamwork but also about self-development and a safe space for us to be ourselves.’

This space for self-expression has paid dividends. As Dakota has become more comfortable speaking up for herself and expressing her feelings, she has been able to build more positive relationships with those around her. She explains that while she used to push people away, she is now much more open, approachable and sociable.

As Dakota’s teamwork and communication skills have blossomed, her teachers and family have seen big changes. ‘My guidance counsellor and my form teachers and my family told me that I am out of my shell, and I am learning to express myself,’ Dakota explains. ‘They think I can improve on it more, but they are very aware of how far I’ve come and they are proud of me.’ Dakota can see these changes in herself too.

An emerging young leader

Since taking part in the Achieve programme, Dakota has been appointed a sub-prefect at her school – a role which sees her take on responsibilities to support the senior prefects. She has also already passed several CXC exams – the Caribbean high school exams equivalent to GCSEs in the UK. Dakota points to these, and her Achieve certificate, as her biggest achievements. ‘It shows me that if you really focus, you can do even better than you thought,’ she says.

Now with a newfound focus on working towards her future, and her dream career as an author, Dakota highlights how the skills she has developed through Achieve would benefit other young people too.

‘It would help them to express themselves,’ she explains, ‘If they are afraid, like I was to speak up for myself, it would be great for them.’