Who Are We

The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, and Department of Youth & Sports in particular, is the arm of government responsible for the initiation, development and execution of youth development policies and programmes, and the integration of multi-ministerial youth related programmes.

The Youth Division then is responsible for the formulation, development, monitoring and review of youth related programmes and policies within the Ministry.

By an Act of Parliament, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture was established in July 1977. This government agency was mandated to promote the total well being of young people between the ages of 16-25 years throughout the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Its primary focus was the empowerment of young people to participate in all aspects of national development, be it physical, cultural, spiritual, social and economical.

Prior to 1977, the Division of Youth was an extension of the Community Affairs Division of the Ministry of Education and Culture. The Youth Division collaborated with the Ministry of Education as an extension of its extra curricular activities for young people to become engaged in constructive, after school, leisure time activities. It also served as a support mechanism for youth and community organizations.

From that time to the year 2003, the Youth Division, through its training, exposure and outreach programs and activities, have impacted the entire Commonwealth, reaching all islands, fostering youth development and touching the lives of many young people, youth leaders and youth organizations.

Today, the oldest established section in the Ministry, The Youth Division comprises 26 members of technical and clerical officers and presently operates from the ground floor, of the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, Thompson Blvd., Regatta House, Collins Avenue, and the International Building located in Freeport, Grand Bahama. Activities coordinators have also been posted on the islands of Mangrove Cay and South Andros & North & Central Andros; Eleuthera; Exuma; Cat Island; Acklins/Crooked Island; Abaco and Inagua.

Our role is to facilitate, create, implement and enhance youth programmes, services and projects throughout the Bahamas thereby empowering young people to become responsible, productive and proud citizens.

In 1993, a Consultative Committee on National Youth Development was appointed to study the special needs of the young in our nation and to make recommendations for the positive development of the youth as an integral part of our national planning and development.

In January 2005 another report on the Situation of Youth In the Bahamas, prepared by Lorraine Blank, for the government of the Bahamas and the Inter-American Development Bank was also conducted.

From recommendations of both research reports, many of the existing programs have been established.

Mission of the Youth Division

Seek to provide the required resources, in collaboration with other agencies or alone, to facilitate acquisition of skills and orientation that will assist young people in making desirable choices for self-development and full participation at all levels in society, in keeping with National Development goals.

Our Vision

We have a vision of the youth of The Bahamas to maximize their full participation, in shaping the present and future of their communities and nation as a whole.

Our Fundamental Values

As the government’s agency, we are driven by our fundamental values of:

respect for human dignity and opposition to all forms of discrimination, rooted in race, religion, soci-economic status or gender;

adherence to democracy, the rule of law, freedom of expression and protection of the rights of all humans;

supporting the elimination of poverty and the promotion of development by youth themselves;

upholding peace and protection and opposition to violence and criminality.

Our Core Values

Our work is inspired by the many youth organizations and their principles and values that unite us as partners. These include, among others, youth development, spirituality, achievement, participation, leadership, entrepreneurship, social justice, respect for diversity, security, health and well being, cultural and civic enrichment, ethics and standards, national pride and protection of our environments. This is fortified by a recognition by the government of the Bahamas, that young people are the inheritors of these values and that the present and the future of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas lies in its youth.

Our Goals and Objectives

In pursuit of our vision, our primary goal is that young people in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas realize their own potential and are able to transform and improve the quality of their lives in partnership with the government and the many stakeholders in youth development, in a way that they make a positive contribution to the overall development of their community.

In order to achieve our primary goal, we will focus our resources and exercise our comparative advantage in:

Reinforcing and building up present and potential youth organization leaders, so that they are better equipped to work with young people;

Promote and enhance youth enterprise development and sustainable livelihoods for young people, through a number of youth programmes;

Provide opportunities for young people to develop critical knowledge and skills that will assist them to be prepared for entering the job market;

Developing and promoting youth work education and training for the professionalization of the youth sector through tertiary level institutions and the Commonwealth Youth Programme;

Enhance the capacity of young people to influence the governance processes at local, regional and international levels;

Provide the necessary financial resources to assist enhancing programs and initiatives of youth, church, community and civic organizations;

Work closely with our strategic partners in creating inventive programs and partnerships for youth development;

Realize the potential of young people as active citizens through their participation in, and contribution to the social, political and economic developmental process by exposing them and participating in national, regional and international forums, exchange programs, workshops, meetings and summits;

Provide the society at large, but Bahamian Youth in particular, with information relevant to youth issues;

Design a public relations and promotional crusade to provide youth with sustained positive encouragement, self-esteem building and positive lifestyles through all available media sources;

Our Organizational Structure and Programme Delivery

A. Governance Structures

The Youth Division is accountable to the government of the Bahamas, and works closely with the Youth Advisory Council and youth organizations in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

B. Management Structures

The Permanent Secretary, appointed by the government of the Bahamas, leads all public servants in the appointed Ministry, and advises the Minister who represents the government of the day. The Minister is responsible for the policy of that ministry for the government. The Director of Youth is the Head of Department, with a Deputy, Assistant(s), technical youth officers and clerical staff.