COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

 SharpeSkills supports local economic and cultural resilience by engaging retreat participants and clients in hands-on projects with the Duncan’s Bay fishing community. These efforts include boat and fish trap restoration alongside local fishermen, preserving traditional knowledge while boosting economic opportunity. Through these collaborations, SharpeSkills fosters intergenerational exchange, uplifts local livelihoods, and provides visitors with a deeper understanding of Jamaica’s coastal heritage. Partnerships with Good Hope Jamaica and the Silver Sands community reinforce the connection between tradition, sustainability, and empowerment.

 Literacy is a cornerstone of community wellness, and SharpeSkills advances this work through the Duncans Literacy Project, which includes the “Pick a Book” campaign, summer reading programming, and the creation of community book stations. Participants help organize and deliver donated books to local schools and homes, supporting reading access for youth year-round. These efforts not only nurture a culture of learning in Trelawny but give visiting students and educators a direct role in uplifting educational opportunity. In collaboration with the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, this work also connects to broader trauma-informed strategies for healing through learning.

 From land to sea, SharpeSkills embeds sustainability into every aspect of its community programming. Participants engage in regenerative gardening, tree planting, and food cultivation efforts alongside local families, while also supporting sea floor cleanups, coral reef preservation with Discovery Bay Marine Lab, and turtle conservation efforts in partnership with Silver Sands. These immersive experiences offer hands-on education in ecosystem care and connect individual wellness with collective environmental stewardship, grounded in the belief that healing ourselves goes hand-in-hand with healing our planet.

 SharpeSkills provides regular wellness check-ins and nutrient-rich food support for seniors and homebound residents in the Duncan’s Bay area. Retreat groups and fitness clients often assist with sourcing, preparing, and delivering fresh produce, juices, and household essentials—all locally sourced to support the broader food system. These food drops are not transactional—they are opportunities for building trust, ensuring connection, and honoring the wisdom and resilience of older community members. The program is shaped by trauma-informed principles and strengthens bonds across generations.

 SharpeSkills partners with local schools to deliver holistic, experiential education rooted in wellness, movement, and emotional resilience. Retreat participants and wellness clients lend their energy to school-based programs that include fitness and athletics, gardening and food literacy, and Council-based dialogue practices modeled after the Ojai Foundation. These experiences foster belonging, emotional regulation, and youth empowerment, while modeling inclusive practices that value every student. With support from The Nature Conservancy, the Ojai Foundation, and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, these educational initiatives bridge social-emotional learning with real-world skills and deep listening.