A Berkeley Institute student has clinched first prize in a contest designed to raise awareness about public access to information rights.

Alaire Brown won the Bermuda Right to Know Day, Youth Social Media Campaign competition.

She was awarded a two-week internship with the Information Commissioner’s Office to develop and launch her social media campaign across ICO platforms.

Jason Outerbridge, the Information Commissioner, announced the top student in a competition run by his office and SkillCraft Bermuda.

SkillCraft participants and alumnae were invited to submit a social media public awareness campaign proposal that would encourage young people in Bermuda to learn about and exercise their PATI rights.

Ms Brown said: “Participating in this competition gave me deep insight into what the PATI Act is.

“The PATI Act is a very important right that all young people should know about, so I look forward to working with the ICO to inform youth about the PATI Act and ignite curiosity in Bermudian politics.

“We, the youth, determine the future, and we need reliable information to make it great.”

Margot Shane, the executive director at SkillCraft, said: “Opportunities like this give young people real experience, a real brief, a real client and a chance to show what they can do.

“Alaire rose to the challenge with creativity and professionalism, and it was inspiring to see the talent this campaign brought to the fore.”

She added: “When an organisation opens its doors this way, it does more than offer an internship.

“It invests in the next generation's skills, confidence and employability, and that organisation benefits from fresh ideas in return.

“This is exactly the kind of model SkillCraft would love to see more organisations adopt.”

Mr Outerbridge said: “The youth of Bermuda are engaged, connected, informed and have their own opinions about our island home, our government and issues affecting their communities and networks.

“This competition, and the social media campaign to follow, shows that the youth are not powerless.

“They can use their unique voice and skills to explore their PATI rights as a tool to become more intentionally informed by learning and knowing public information that matters to them and rallying their peers to do the same.

“Ms Brown’s proposal showed freshness in its visual appeal and demonstrated that she understood and presented PATI rights in a way that was relatable to the youth.”

For more information about PATI and the public’s right to access information, visit ico.bm.

Organisations interested in working with SkillCraft to create a similar opportunity for young people can e-mail info@skillcraft.bm.