Over 70 Executive Members from Police Youth Clubs, Prison Youth Clubs, Fire Service Youth Clubs and other youth-serving agencies across Trinidad and Tobago attended a Virtual Closing Ceremony for Positioning for Impact – An Institutional Strengthening Initiative on Monday 20th September, 2021. During the 5 week programme, facilitated by the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service (MYDNS), participants were taught best practices in the areas of: Formulating a Constitution for a Group; Establishing Effective Partnerships; Fund Raising Strategies; Volunteerism and Entrepreneurship; Establishing an online Footprint and more.
The Honourable Foster Cummings, Minister of Youth Development and National Service in his Feature Address emphasized the importance of high-functioning Youth Groups. “Youth groups play an integral role in the lives of young people, as they offer opportunities for leadership; facilitate peer support; teach life skills; foster a spirit of community; and the list goes on and on,” said Minister Cummings. “Having been involved with numerous youth groups since my teenage years, I understand thoroughly, their significance and the many benefits that can be derived from being a member of a group. These groups contribute to the holistic development of the youth,” Minister Cummings added.
“This Closing Ceremony encourages us to focus on a significant moment on the Ministry of Youth Development and National Service calendar: completing a five week course that ultimately benefits the thousands of young people in your groups,” said Mr. Farook Hosein, Permanent Secretary, MYDNS.
Also speaking at the event was Mr. Marvin Small, a Police Constable and Group Leader at the BH8 Police Youth Club who stated that, “The Youth Development Officers who worked with us ensured that we were on the right track and they were excellent at it. The assignments were a lot of fun as they were interactive and taught us a lot.”
Positioning for Impact – An Institutional Strengthening Initiative is a pilot programme designed to empower Youth Groups to foster active youth participation and youth engagement, towards sustainable national development.
The Ministry of Youth Development and National Service remains committed to bringing all stakeholders together to promote youth development and encouraging civic-minded citizens to contribute to National Service across Trinidad and Tobago.
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