Online Program Develops Leadership Skills in V.I. Youth
Leadership skills and success often go hand in hand and the team at Positive Youth Development V.I. wants to share those skills during a seven-week youth forum.
In September, the team launched its first program focusing on youth empowerment and personal development. The virtual sexual-risk avoidance education course under the V.I. Health Department was offered to 25 students. In December, their Virtual Empowerment Conference had more than 500 views on its social media platform. Now, the group is preparing for a new youth leadership forum, “Leading Your Own Life to Success.”
“Positive Youth Development V.I. is exactly what the name says,” Program Coordinator Ajayi Pickering-Haynes said. A graduate of Charlotte Amalie High School, Pickering-Haynes earned a Bachelor’s degree in biology in 2019 from American University.
“It’s a youth program that focuses on the holistic development of youth,” he said. There’s some research around that tells us that when youth have more positive experiences and positive role models, they are a lot more likely to succeed.”
The Positive Youth Development team also includes Unique Xpression Ministries Pastor and Program Director Sharon Amey and Program Grant Writer and Consultant Gritell Berkeley Martinez. “Our purpose is to really promote the youth of our territory — and youth globally and nationally — to do whatever it takes so that everyone will see them as a very important part of this generation and not to be discounted or put aside,” Amey said.
“We are speaking towards taking ownership of their lives and their future and building their leadership capacity.”
The organization will launch its second program May 1. It is designed to empower high school students and young adults in the territory, or who have ancestral ties to the Virgin Islands, to develop the soft leadership skills needed to create and maintain success. The forum will include interactive presentations and activities facilitated by team members and experts who have demonstrated leadership. The sessions are intended to be youth-led and youth-guided, Pickering-Haynes said.
“One of the things we noticed when it comes to leadership, the training programs that exist nationally focus on adult leadership and working professionals,” Pickering-Haynes said.
“We want to focus on young people so that when they get to those steps and avenues, they’ll have the skills.
“We also really want to do this because young people are still being adversely affected by COVID, mentally and emotionally. Right now, we feel young people need something where they have a chance to take ownership or responsibility over some aspect of their lives. We feel by being a part of this, they will be empowered, even in such a tricky time for them.”
The forum will touch on a variety of topics. An exploration of self-awareness and personal strengths, will give participants the opportunity to learn what they are good at through personal development assessments.
A focus on emotional intelligence will show them the skills to navigate situations in both personal and professional life. And, wellness and mental health are at the foundation of being successful, Pickering-Haynes said, noting you can’t be successful without a solid, healthy mind and body.
Rounding out the course will be a discussion of professional development and financial literacy, which will include best practices for resumes and cover letters, interviewing etiquette, budgeting and credit card management. Another strategic part of the forum will be the inclusion of six volunteer speakers — all V.I. leaders residing both in the territory and in the states, who have experience in the federal, retail, financial, health, wellness and private sectors.
They include European Wax Center District Manager Shawntay Henry, a former V.I. Carnival Queen; and State Department Management Analyst Krythemer Edmead, a former Charlotte Amalie High School valedictorian.
“All of our guest speakers have volunteered to serve as possible mentors beyond the program, so we are looking to lay the foundation, but also creating a continued supportive relationship between our speakers and the youth involved,” said Pickering-Haynes.
As with most nonprofits, funding is a challenge. They are hoping to raise enough donations to avoid having to charge a $30 fee. “We need the funding to build the operation, so we are looking for any company who would like to invest in young lives or has the desire to pay it forward into the community,” said Pastor Amey.
“We really want to see this young generation flourish and grow with the skills that they need to survive and be the leaders we are desiring them to be.”
Sessions of the seven-week forum will be held every Saturday and the program will accept 30 to 50 students. Applications will be available April 19 through April 29 at www.positiveyouthdevelopmentvi.org. Visit their Facebook page for up-to-date information.
By LORI ABBOTTS Daily News Staff Apr 6, 2021
