AFTER two years of virtual hosting, the Miss Guyana Teen Scholar Pageant (MGTSP) will return to an in-person show in 2022. The search for the next queen has already started with applications set to close this Sunday.

BUZZ caught up with the MGTSP Executive Director, Wasim Khan, who shared his joy seeing the pageant return to a physical stage on September 3 at the National Cultural Centre (NCC).

“Everybody likes the production, the stage, the glitz and the glamour. So, I’m excited to get back into the feel of things. I’m really looking forward to it,” he shared
He further added: “I am very excited for us to return to the stage. But at the same time, I am proud of what the team has done over the last two years.

“Not only proud of the team but for the delegates that signed on during the two years and saw the process through to the end. When COVID-19 hit, we did not stop. We just went back to the drawing board, re-evaluated our position, and took a new course,” Khan said.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic which caused restrictions on large gatherings, many pageants, both in Guyana and internationally, were forced to cancel in-person shows. During this time, MGTSP hosted a digital programme in 2020 and a virtual pageant in 2021.

With most COVID-19 restrictions lifted now, things are returning to normal.

Interested applicants can access the application online using the hyperlink: https://forms.gle/ZneNjeoCvqpzME6z7
Applicants can also print and submit their applications at Medical Choice Pharmacy on Camp Street (three doors south of Burger King). The application fee is $1,000.

In order to be considered for the pageant, applicants must be at least 13 years of age and must not have attained their 20th birthday before August 31, 2023. Guyanese citizenship and residency are a must.

The Miss Guyana Teen Scholar Pageant is a skills-based training programme for the social and gender development of adolescent girls. The current reigning Miss Guyana Teen Scholar, Shequana Holder was crowned in 2021.

Candidates in this programme compete in a pageant for a scholarship that covers their expenses in any tertiary education institution in Guyana during their year of reign.

The queen will also manage a community development fund for her outreach and voluntary projects and will speak as a role model to encourage other girls to pursue their education and ambitions.

“All candidates of the programme are prepared to navigate the world beyond academics, from self-awareness sessions to challenging gender barriers as young women. The programme seeks to empower girls and young women to take up leadership roles in their communities,” the pageant’s Executive Director shared.

Candidates who do not win the MGTSP scholarship are assisted and referred to other scholarship and grant opportunities.

The MGTSP is owned by Imperial House (TIH), which is a Guyanese non-profit social enterprise organisation working to develop and coordinate programmes for the development of young people and their communities.

Since its formation in 2016, the organisation has produced three pageant programmes, where scholarships for adolescent girls were offered. This led to the mentoring of a total of 42 girls.

The organisation has also hosted six community outreaches and charitable events, 26 volunteer-led projects, and five stage productions. (Tamica Garnett)