The vast potential that the youth on Montserrat exhibit and excel in has encouraged the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports (DYAS) to provide a platform for all young people across the island to showcase their abilities in the fields of sports, the arts, culture, entertainment, academia and civic involvement on a national level.
It is with this in mind, the Department announces the inaugural staging of Youth Fest 2016 a celebration of the youth, by the youth during the month of October. The activities will take a holistic approach to youth development and achievement, by empowering the youth to be all that they can be. Activities include, but are not limited to:
DEBATING SERIES #mniyouthpoint – A competition for youth to debate current affairs and social issues that affect young people and the general public. The Department is inviting youth groups to select a team, register with the department, select their topics and prepare for the competition. This is a great opportunity for the youth to develop their public speaking, critical thinking, and team building skills. A grand cash prize of $2500 plus other awards will be distributed.
MONTSERRAT YOUTH GOT TALENT #mniyouthgottalent – A contest open to all youth who believe they have what it takes to be adjudged the most talented young person on Montserrat. The Department encourages the youth with varying, unconventional skills to include culinary art, fashion design, makeup artistry, spoken word, hair dressing, DJ’ing, poetry etc, as well as the traditional showcased talents such as singing, dance and drama.
YOUTH BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT – #mniballerz – Four of the best youth basketball players on island will head four teams vying for the title – Youth Basketball Champion Ballers. The four young stars will select players from a pool of other young players to form the teams. The tournament will span over three weeks at the Basketball Stadium in Little Bay.
HEALTH MOBILE – #knowyourstatusmni – Also during the month of October, the youth would be encouraged to take advantage of FREE health screening for prevalent communicable and non-communicable diseases. The objective of this event is to promote a healthy youth population by encouraging young people to get tested and know their status. Essentially, the overall goal is to prevent disease, promote health and prolong life.
YOUTH VOICE – #mniyouthvoice – The views and opinions of our young people matter. These will be highlighted during the month in weekly radio features. A team of young reporters will take to the streets to find out what the youth really think about issues affecting their development and that of the country.
MONTSERRAT YOUTH AWARDS #mniyouthawards – This grand celebration is intended to publicly and officially recognize the various achievements of the islands youth in sports, academics, leadership, entrepreneurship, religious involvement, youth in service and the arts (culture, music, and entertainment).
Youth and general public are encouraged to attend the activities, participate and share their views.
More information will be released in due course. In the meantime, please contact the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports on dyas@gov.ms or 664-491- 5701/03.
