Highlighting our nation’s youth and their development will be the focus of celebrations for National Youth Week, from Sunday, September 22, to Monday, September 30.
Activities, which have been coordinated by the Ministry of Youth and Community Empowerment, will commence with two events on Sunday, September 22.
There will be a church service at the Church of the Nazarene, Bank Hall, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., and a five-kilometre run/walk dubbed Colour Yuh Cause, which starts at Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall, St. Michael, beginning at 4:00 p.m.
On Monday, September 23, a multi-faith service will be held at the Horatio Cooke Auditorium, NUPW Headquarters, Dalkeith, St. Michael, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. And on Tuesday, September 24, starting at 9:00 a.m., there will be a service day, where schools will be encouraged to participate in voluntary activities of their choice.
Activities on Thursday, September 26, include a panel discussion hosted by the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation, and a National Youth Parliament Debate at Parliament Buildings, The City, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
On Friday, September 27, a schools’ outreach programme, coordinated by the youth arms of the Barbados Workers’ Union and National Union of Public Workers, will take place at Solidarity House, Harmony Hall, St. Michael, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
It will see young persons and those with disabilities being offered guidance and counselling, career advice, personal development tips, and strategies for attaining employment from human resource professionals, guidance counsellors and career development specialists.
One key event during the week will be the Enterprise Expo on Saturday, September 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., in the car park of Sky Mall. It is designed to provide an opportunity for young entrepreneurs to display and sell their products; be given information about the CARICOM Skills Certificate, trading, and youth programmes, and benefit from scholarships, sponsorships and prizes being offered by participating businesses.
Sunday, September 29, will be a recreational and sports day with several events, including a Paralympics sports display, a Battle of the Sexes netball match, and a Richard Herbert Memorial T20 cricket match at the Eden Lodge Community Centre, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
National Youth Week will culminate on Monday, September 30 – Caribbean Youth Day, with a youth symposium under the theme: Confronting Issues, Impacting Education for an Economically Sustainable Region.
It takes place at Solidarity House, Harmony Hall, St. Michael, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and will examine issues impacting youth development in the Caribbean and strategies to address them.