More than 150 students will benefit from a two-day empowerment conference, themed “Inspiring Youth for the Future” and will include workshops, thanks to the Queens College of Guyana Alumni Association (NY), headed by newly elected President Karen Wharton.
This third such program is dedicated to sharing knowledge and life skills to better prepare students of Queens’s College High School in Georgetown, and youths, from seven other schools during the Feb. 16-17 forum.
Wharton told Caribbean Life that the initiative would introduce students to a wide array of career options with emphasis on self-esteem, anti-bullying training, and social innovation skills.
A team of skilled alumni will make presentations to inspire, and mentor the youths in choosing career goals, to better prepare then for life after high school.
A career day will introduce the students to entrepreneurship, and other areas outside of the traditional careers, such as law, medicine, and engineers, and better equip them with knowledge for other professions such as agriculture, and the oil and gas sector that would be needed in Guyana’s newest developing industry.
The Queen’s College Thomas Lands, Georgetown campus, will welcome students from Bishops High, Christ Church, Tutorial High, North Georgetown, Annandale, Richmond Ishmael, and West Demerara Secondary schools at the fair of self improvement towards success.
The conference is geared towards students in third through sixth forms
The objectives of the conference include increasing subject-area knowledge for the students, as well as team-building through group activities.
Students will work in teams for this segment. In advance of Feb. 17, each team needs to develop a concept for an innovation that would improve school life for the wider school community. The idea can be varied. It could be a suggested improvement to the school building or grounds; a new program or student club that benefits the wellbeing of students; or a new school learning program.
Working under supervision, each team will be required to develop the idea into a plan, and then present a brief overview of the plan that shows how its implementation will improve the school or life at the school.
“We are looking for ideas that are creative, innovative, and practical — an idea that, with support, can be introduced and implemented in school,” said Wharton.
A mini career fair will make use of the skills of professionals, companies, institutions, corporations and small business enterprises invited to provide students with information about careers that can be pursued in order to gain successful employment in banking, health sciences, engineering, tourism, telecommunications and many others.
“Our goals are to add to what the students already know. And taking into consideration, the school is academic-driven, we want to enhance the skills they already have, while giving them an opportunity to interact with alumni, during the mentoring program,” said Wharton.
The Queens’s College Student Conference Planning Team includes Michelle Mickle Foster, Karen A. Wharton, Saran Nurse, Shindy Johnson, and Eddie Tyrell in Georgetown.
Corporate sponsors for the conference include Fly Jamaica Airways, Camex Ltd., Maggies Snackette / Catering Service, Banks DIH, Noble House Seafoods Ltd.
To learn more about QCAANY and how to get involved, log on to www.qcguy
