Media alert: Youth conference offers youth spaces of connection and growth

The YearBeyond Annual Youth Conference, hosted by the provincial Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, will take place at the University of the Western Cape from 12-14 July 2024. With over 1 000 youth on the programme registered to attend, this year’s conference looks set to be the biggest one yet.
 
This year also marks the 10th year of YearBeyond’s existence. This youth-in-service programme was established by the Western Cape Government to offer youth the opportunity to gain valuable in-service training, while also gaining skills to enable them to apply for further work or study opportunities. Youth on the programme also give back to their communities through the work that they do.
 
This event will feature seminars, workshops, and activities designed to inspire and develop attendees, enhancing their agency, professionalism, and emotional intelligence. With over 70 speakers and contributors from diverse fields, this promises to be an exciting and enriching experience. GoBeyond: Shape Your Future aims to provide crucial support and inspiration to the youth, helping them navigate their future through the transformative university environment, a place of learning, possibility, and peer connection.
 
The campus will begin to fill up with energetic youth ready to Shape their Future with the opening event on Friday, 12 July 2024. Ex-YeBoneer Ronique Wilson and Nelson Bila, who benefited from the programme, will engage in a panel discussion on the importance of embracing opportunity and showing up for yourself. They will be joined by internationally renowned dancer, Musa Mota, who will share his talents and inspirational journey.
 
In between the sessions, attendees can participate in activities that they may not necessarily engage with daily in an active and creative space, like rock painting, yoga and drumming. This is a crucial part of the conference programme as we encourage young people to always try something different, pick up new skills, and seek different opportunities to make connections.
 
The Saturday plenary continues with the theme of showing up and breaking the mould. Chaeli Mycroft, the first female quadriplegic to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, who was awarded the 2013 World of Children Award (Youth category) and named a 2018 Obama Foundation African Leader, will share her story with the group.
 
On Sunday, the conference ends with motivational TED Talk speaker Thabani Mtsi. Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Ricardo Mackenzie,  will officially close this special conference edition and will also launch the 10-year celebration YeBo song.
 
All media are invited to attend the conference. The details for the opening ceremony are:
Date: Friday, 12 July 2024
Time: 09:00
Venue: Jakes Gerwel hall, University of the Western Cape