The Youth Services Unit (YSU) successfully hosted its fourth annual Youth Empowerment Symposium (YES) in Grand Cayman on 21-22 September 2026, bringing together students, young adults, government representatives, and community partners for two days of empowerment under the theme, “Innovate to Elevate: Empowering the Leaders of Tomorrow.”
The symposium, which explored innovative technology and career paths; encouraged youth to make smart, ethical and insightful decisions about their futures. Topics such as artificial intelligence, robotics, coding, policy, governance, inclusion and representation; were featured across sessions which included a School Delegates Conference open to public and private school students aged 12-17, and a Young Adult Night for youth aged 18-30.
The Young Adult Evening, a free dinner event, included opportunities to network, along with an interactive panel discussion with young Caymanian professionals sharing their tips and experiences navigating emerging technologies.
Minister for Youth, Sports, Culture & Heritage, Hon. Isaac Rankine welcomed the initiative and underscored the importance of creating pathways to responsibly embrace innovation and emerging technologies. “Our young people have shown tremendous interest in emerging technologies and in the opportunities, they can create for Cayman’s future. As a Ministry, we want to ensure they have access to the knowledge, skills and experiences that will help them explore careers in these fields and become active participants in shaping what comes next. Just as importantly, we want them to approach innovation responsibly, with an understanding of ethics, social responsibility and the importance of preserving who we are as Caymanians. Initiatives like the Youth Empowerment Symposium are helping to prepare our young people to become informed, adaptable and responsible leaders of tomorrow.
The Symposium is an initiative by the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture & Heritage and the YSU, sponsored by Deriv, OfReg and KPMG. Workshops facilitated by 345Robotics, Deriv and the Department of Education Services provided interactive learning opportunities and encouraged discussions among participants on the issues explored throughout the event.
Jordan McDonald, who attended the Young Adults Evening reflected on the experience, sharing: “It was an informative and inspiring event. We got to connect with like-minded people. We learned about emerging technologies, and I left feeling we could be the next great innovators of our country.”
Head of Youth Services Unit, Mellony Bryan-Waugh, said the symposium will continue to focus on creating meaningful opportunities for young people to develop and excel. “YES, will always be about creating spaces for young people in Cayman to grow, learn and set new standards for excellence locally and regionally. We plan to continue introducing new avenues for young people to develop their potential and be supported.”