Youth Challenge Top-Down Thinking at Leadership Workshop

Young people across Barbados are being encouraged not just to prepare for leadership, but to step into it now, as the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment sharpened its focus on youth-driven development at a national leadership workshop held at the Barbados Hilton.

Addressing student council members from secondary schools islandwide, Director Division of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Cleviston Hunte made it clear that the days of adults deciding everything for young people are steadily giving way to a more inclusive, bottom-up approach.

“The agenda was determined by you, the participants,” Hunte told students. “We have moved away from that top-down approach and are listening to the voices of young people.”

The workshop, held in collaboration with the Ministry of Educational Transformation, is an annual initiative aimed at strengthening leadership capacity among young Barbadians. This year, however, organisers placed special emphasis on decision-making grounded in data, reliable information and real-world awareness.

Drawing from his own journey as a youth and community leader, Hunte acknowledged the scepticism some participants might feel, joking about the fear of yet another “talk shop.” He assured students, however, that the workshop was designed to leave them better equipped for school life and the transition into young adulthood.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment Joy Adamson, reinforced the call to action, telling students that leadership is not about titles or waiting to be chosen.

“Leadership is choosing to step up,” Adamson said. “You don’t need permission to make a difference. You just need commitment.”

She challenged students to recognise the power of their ideas, regardless of background or community, and encouraged them to act when they see issues affecting their peers and schools.

“Barbados’ future is not being shaped somewhere else,” Adamson stressed. “It’s being shaped in your classrooms, on your playing fields and by young people like you.”

Adamson also praised students for taking ownership of the workshop’s agenda, noting that their willingness to speak, participate and collaborate is a clear sign that youth leadership in Barbados is evolving.

The event concluded with a student-led pledge and a presentation from the National Student Council, underscoring the central role young people continue to play in shaping the nation’s future.