–with launch of innovative STEAMS project

YOUTHS across all ten administrative regions of Guyana will be identifying and responding to challenges in their communities through the Youth Innovation Project of Guyana (YIPoG), launched Monday at the Umana Yana.

Incorporating the areas of “STEAMS” (Science, Technology, Engineering, Anthropology, Archaeology, Arts, Architecture, Mathematics and Spirituality), the Youth Innovation Project seeks to engage young people between the ages of 16 and 35.

Participants may be individuals or teams of no more than 10 members with a named leader and an identified expert in the project. Youths will be allowed to identify challenges or issues affecting them in their respective communities, and design, develop and produce innovative ideas to combat these challenges while fostering a “green” economy.

This youth innovation project, established under the theme, “Aspire, Inspire to reach”, will be administered from the Youth Innovation Fund (YIF) of $50M which was introduced in the 2017 National Budget.

In her address at Monday’s launch, Minister within the Ministry of Education with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport,Nicolette Henry stressed that the programme at hand reflects a cognisance that youth are the backbone of any nation and are able to change the future of society.

“The vision of this country lies in the hands of our young people,” Minister Henry said.

“They are filled with tremendous and towering ambitions.”

But, to enable the inherent innovation and creativity of youths, she said, they must be guided, empowered and given the platform.

Thus, she noted that the re-establishment of National Youth Week and this Youth Innovation programme were both designed to showcase and exploit the talents and abilities of our Guyanese youths.

She reflected upon the 2017 National Budget, of which 17.2% (almost $43B) was allocated to education, and noted that it is through projects like these that the government’s commitment to education and youth is affirmed.

For this week, too, she said that youths will be able to interact with relevant stakeholders, discuss problems, and be informed about support opportunities.

NATIONAL YOUTH WEEK
The launch of YIPoG initiated the activities and events planned for National Youth Week 2017, which runs from Sunday May 21 to Saturday May 27 under the theme, “Inspiring our Youth, Celebrating their achievements”.

Not only will the week-long event seek to highlight the creative and innovative solutions the youths of Guyana can develop in response to challenges they face in their respective

communities through the commencement of the YIPoG, but to also underscore what contributions Guyanese youths have already made, according to Minister Henry.
Notably, the concept of “STEAMS” was established by Minister Henry as an improvement on the better known concept of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). According to the Minister, the expansion enables a wider approach to challenges in the Guyanese society.
“This is the first government programme of its kind that has a focus on the issue of youth innovation only,” she said.
Project pioneer, Ms Brigette Hinds, said the exercise is intended to have Guyanese youths produce “out-of-the-box” solutions to challenges and issues posed to them in their communities.

As she explained, proposals will be accepted from Monday, when the project was launched, until June 30. Those proposals, she said, will be reviewed and judged between the months of July and August, following which the winners will be announced and receive the appropriate funding for the commencement of project prototypes in September. Finally, from September to November, the projects will be evaluated.

Utilising the reactivated E-Governance project, the YIPoG will be connecting with youths all across Guyana to enable an all-inclusive approach to tackling problems in communities and regions, thereby contributing nationally.

Timely communication and dissemination of project information will be enabled through the E-governance project. Attributing to this, Hinds highlighted that the two projects from every region will be selected, totaling 20 projects overall, and she while she anticipates adequate funding will be given to each project, $2M is the general amount allocated for the implementation of feasible projects.

The best projects in the categories of ‘Most Relevant to Sustainable Communities’, ‘Most Creative and Innovative’, ‘Best Plan and Project Design’, ‘Best Use of STEAMS’ and ‘Best Presentation’ will be awarded also, according to Hinds.

The YIPoG is the Department of Youth flagship programme for 2017, but will be encompassing several other government ministries alongside many regional, international and corporate agencies. Additionally, the YIPoG will be supported by the Youth Entrepreneurship and Skills Training Programme (YEST); the Volunterism Support Platform (VSP); and the President’s Youth Award Republic of Guyana (PYARG).