I Am Conference 2025: Empowering Barbadian Youth for the Third Consecutive Year

For the third consecutive year, hundreds of Barbadian young people are being empowered to navigate the challenges posed by academic, work and life.

This offering is through the annual I AM Conference which is now taking place at the Hilton Barbados Resort.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the conference on Wednesday morning, Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment (MYSCE), the Honourable Charles Griffith, told the young men and women gathered that the four-day initiative this year is geared towards setting a positive pathway for their journey through life.

He said the subjects being dealt with, such as employability, entrepreneurship, agriculture, the sports industry, house and land ownership, wealth management, climate change, the environment, mental health and wellness, and many others, will help them to wade through uncharted waters and challenges they face in life.

Minister Griffith urged them “to make the best decisions for themselves, their families and their country whilst becoming productive citizens.”

Permanent Secretary Mrs Joy Adamson, who officially declared the conference open, told the audience that “the Ministry is not making sport at sports.”

She disclosed that during the conference this year, a full day – Saturday, November 22nd – has been dedicated entirely to sports and the careers the industry offers to young Barbadians, apart from the other wide range of career paths on the table.

She urged the participants to fully engage in the sessions whilst walking away with a fountain of knowledge from the deliberations.

Senior Youth Commissioner and Co-ordinator of the I AM Conference Elizabeth Bowen says this third iteration of the event promises an exciting four days for the hundreds gathered at the Hilton Barbados Resort.

Several governmental and private sector organisations have partnered with the MYSCE at the conference to provide services for the young men and women, ensuring they can obtain TAMIS numbers, NIS numbers, ID cards and open bank and credit union accounts if they don’t have any.