Who are we?

The United Youth Leaders of Barbados (UYLB) is a registered youth empowerment charity that has been in existence for the past 11 years. UYLB is the longest serving youth led community group in Barbados and has secured project funding and support from major Non-Governmental Agencies and Trusts like UNICEF, Sandy Lane Charitable Trust and Maria Holder Foundation. UYLB has quickly flourished into and become one of the most influential organizations in Barbados with members serving on youth consultations for policy and programmes for youth. The remarkable part is that the day to day programs of the charity are led by young people for young people. UYLB provides avenues for youth of Barbados to have a 'voice' and to develop their leadership skills through training and service. It also acts as a support group for young people guided by its motto 'Empowering Today's Youth to Creatively Shape a Better Tomorrow.'

UYLB also hosts the Caribbean Youth Leadership Retreat which was recently endorsed by the Minister of Youth and Community Development, The Hon.Adrian Forde. In December 2018, this retreat hosted students from Barbados, St.Kitts and Nevis, St.Vincent and The Grenadines and Dominica. Of note, in 2013 the creator of the charity and the retreat, Christa Soleyn, was awarded the Commonwealth Youth Award of Excellence which included a congratulatory visit to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms, Queen Elizabeth II. In 2017, Ms.Soleyn was also named Youth Hero by the Barbados Youth Development Council.

Objectives Of Youth Of Excellence

The Youth of Excellence Awards Cocktail is an Awards Program designed to recognize, encourage and reward Barbados’s most vital resource, its young Barbadians.

The main objectives of the Awards are to:

• Acknowledge & highlight the achievements of youth making a difference;
• Educate the general public with examples of youth achievement;
• Build self-confidence through rewards for excellence;
• Provide role models & mentors for our youth by highlighting their achievements and the pursuit of excellence;
• Develop and encourage leadership and life skills in young people