Rhodes scholars host Leadership and Values Conversation Summit for high schoolers

TEACH Caribbean, an educational non-government organisation started by Jamaican Rhodes scholars, will host its inaugural Leadership and Values Conversation Summit for high school students this week.

In collaboration with the Office of the Children’s Advocate, the summit is set for November 1 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

The goal of the summit is to increase the consciousness of emerging student leaders on the importance of values in guiding their leadership.

Mariame McIntosh Robinson, co-founder of TEACH Caribbean and current national secretary for the Jamaica Rhodes Scholarship, shared that “outcomes are heavily influenced by leadership and our goal is to support, educate and have a conversation with the next generation of leaders on the importance of having values be at the centre of leadership and decision-making – it is never too early to start this dialogue with our youth”.

Business plan

One hundred high school student leaders and their chaperones from primarily rural high schools have been invited to attend the inaugural pilot summit. While they will engage in thoughtful discussions and hear from a variety of accomplished leaders – public sector, private sector, pastor, entertainer; there will also be a closing ‘Charge’ where the students will be asked in groups to identify a pressing issue in their community and present a response (‘business plan’) to a virtual panel in early December. The winning team will be rewarded. The hope is that students will better understand their role in helping to positively influence society, and get practice in learning how to do so.

Children’s Advocate Diahann Gordon-Harrison shared that the “OCA is happy to collaborate with TEACH Caribbean to deliver this timely programme to emerging leaders – it is important that we mentor, support and encourage our children to become responsible adults and leaders as we continue to build up our nation”.

Sponsors came onboard quickly and include GraceKennedy, Wisynco, Panjam Group, National Baking and Mussons. The Leadership and Values Conversation Summit is a scalable model with the goal being to include more schools, and other parts of Jamaica. This is the second formal programme being done by TEACH Caribbean – Targeting Educational Achievement in Caribbean High Schools – with the first programme being a four-week math and English summer bootcamp for rural high-school students in Jamaica.