Featuring Enid Bennett High School: If a caterpillar can fly, so can I

The garden was peaceful. Purposeful. Alive. From hidden rock speakers came the soft hum of motivational music. By day, the garden was abuzz with energy and conversation. By night, it transformed into a sanctuary, softly lit with coloured lights—each hue adding to the magic of reflection and healing.

This was the Wellness Garden, a dream realized through the hands of students, staff, family, and friends. A year in the making, it was more than just a garden—it was a symbol of hope. Built with recycled materials and a heart for sustainability, it echoed the school’s commitment to addressing mental wellness.

The benches, crafted from wooden pallets, welcomed groups of students for friendly chats during breaks or a reflective lesson with a teacher under the shade.

But at the heart of this living space stood something unique: a blue Wellness Bench, a health promotion collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) and the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). The bench wasn’t just a seat; it was a safe space, a symbol of care for adolescents navigating life’s many challenges.

More than just a place of beauty, the garden was a living classroom, rooted in the school's newest initiative, the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Handbook. Launched on January 30, 2025, the handbook, developed by the school’s own team, laid out a 40-week journey in self-management, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness.

“This isn’t just an initiative—it serves as a roadmap to support a holistic education,” shared Mrs. Latoya Bird-Miller, Acting Vice-Principal and the visionary behind the programme. She explained how SEL was integrated into every school experience—from form periods to extracurricular activities—creating a holistic, supportive environment where every student could thrive.

Wellness didn’t stop at the garden gates. Enid Bennett High was a proud leader in the Jamaica Moves in Schools programme. With weekly fruit and water days, active breaks between classes, and after-school walking and running activities, they had become a beacon of health—earning a regional award for excellence in the 2024/2025 school year.

As we prepared to leave, the peace of the garden stayed with us. There, among recycled wood and hopeful murals, we found a whisper of the future—a generation growing with care, rooted in wellness, and reaching toward the sky.

Indeed, if a caterpillar can fly… so can we.