TALK UP YOUT, Jamaica’s leading youth advocacy group, has bagged a top prize in the Prime Minister’s Youth Awards.
For over a decade, Talk Up Yout has contributed to developing our country's youth while creating safe spaces for young people to contribute to nation-building by speaking openly about issues that affect them the most.
And the group received the highest honour this week when it was awarded the 2022 Prime Minister’s Youth Award in the category of Social Entrepreneurship.
Founder, Executive Producer and Chief Advocate, Emprezz Golding says she is “grateful for the opportunity to mentor and provide a network for so many young persons to achieve academic opportunities and self-improvement.
Giving youth a voice
She added: "This national recognition proves that we are making an impact and gives me a renewed commitment to the Talk Up Yout mission of ‘giving the youth a voice’."
Senior Radio Producer on the Talk Up Yout Radio show, Damian Scarlett said: “This award serves as further motivation to continue the work of civic engagement and building on the impact we've made in communities across Jamaica, especially those where unattached youth reside and are among the most vulnerable.”
Talk Up Yout has served thousands of young people with its innovative development programmes and currently has a cohort of 40 youths between the ages of 15 and 30 who operate in various capacities in the organisation, such as radio show hosts, producers, social media coordinators, CSR programmers, content creators, course developers and social change advocates.
Notable young Jamaicans who have been and still are a part of Talk Up Yout include Malike Kellier - Attorney; Kristeena Monteith - Past PMYA Awardee & Creative Producer; Stephen Francis - University Lecturer; Khamara Wright - 2019 JCDC Festival Queen; and Dainalyn Swaby - 2017 JCDC Festival Queen & Climate Change Activist.
Nation-building
Reflecting on her journey with Talk Up Yout, one of the lead hosts, Shaqkeera Douglas said: "The Talk Up Yout radio show has allowed me to increase my network both of persons in a position to fuel change and also of persons who are in need of this change.
"Nation-building often requires a team of persons. For this reason, I appreciate my Talk Up Yout Radio family and I am extremely proud of the work we have done so far.
"On behalf of the youth of this nation, our stakeholders and contributors, we at Talk Up Yout say thank you to Prime Minister, The Most Honourable Andrew Holness, the Ministry of Education & Youth, and the many Jamaicans who believed and invested in our mission and purpose over the last 13 years.
"As we evolve and seek out opportunities to empower our youth in our schools and communities, Talk Up Yout continues to maximize our skills and lend our voices as advocates through the Talk Up Yout radio show aired on Saturdays from 11am to 1pm on Nationwide 90 FM."
