The Youth Services Unit (YSU) will host its fourth annual Youth Empowerment Symposium (YES) at the Marriott Resort from 21-22 September. This year’s theme, “Innovate to Elevate: Empowering the Leaders of Tomorrow” will explore the ways that innovative technology can support youth in making smart and insightful decisions about their futures.
The two-day event features a School Delegates Conference for public and private school students aged 12-17. This daytime conference will include interactive talks and activities exploring key topics such as AI in education, coding, technology-based careers and other future-forward practices.
To extend the reach of the initiative, YES will also offer a Young Adult Evening on 21 September from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm targeting young people aged 18 to 30. This free event includes dinner, a networking reception and an interactive panel discussion with young Caymanian professionals sharing their tips and experiences navigating emerging technologies.
Young adults are especially encouraged to RSVP as space is limited. Discussions will focus on the impact of AI on young people, and how to leverage technological advancements in careers and everyday life. RSVPs should be submitted by 16 September at: https://www.youthservices.ky/event-details/yes-2026-young-adults-evening/form.
"We are equipping young people with the tools to understand and actively participate in technological advancements,” states Head of Youth Services Unit, Mrs. Mellony Bryan-Waugh. “Our partners and presenters have a wide variety of backgrounds in STEM, education and inclusion. They can offer compelling insights about the technological landscape evolving around our youth.”
The Symposium is an initiative by the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture & Heritage and the YSU, and is sponsored by Deriv and OfReg. Workshops will be facilitated by 345 Robotics, the Ministry of Education and Deriv, with sessions focused on supporting youth development and strengthening young people’s understanding of technology and its role in supporting their future.
Minister Isaac Rankine noted, “Technology is a key tool to promote empowerment. Our young people are ready to step into the world as it changes around them. Exploring these concepts and opportunities will allow them to make safer and more informed choices; along with envisioning their role in the digital ecosystem. We want to expand their understanding of what it means to be innovators and global citizens; and to give them a platform where they can start planning for their futures in a way that excites and inspires us all.”