A Youth Track will be held on Monday and Tuesday, hosted by the Ministry of Health, to focus on the empowerment of Bermuda?s young people.

The Ministry will also be hosting the 18th Annual Conference on Counselling and Training People of Colour, Minister announced in the House of Assembly yesterday. The Youth Track, she said, will include a forum for middle and senior school students as well as a motivational address entitled ?Becoming the Greatest You?.

The presenter is Dr. Earle Suttle, an addiction psychologist who has conducted workshops and seminars for Coca-Cola and American Express, as well as being a consultant for the National Basketball Association and the National Football League.

Students at the workshop will learn the seven keys to success, Mrs. Minors promised. ?This session will also highlight how to build a more positive self-concept, how to stay positive during the difficult times, and how to create a dream book to help them take better charge of their school performance and achieve what they want in life.?

Mrs. Minors did not say where the Youth Track will be held.

The Conference on Counselling and Training People of Colour was scheduled to be held in Bermuda last year, however was relocated due to Hurricane Fabian.

This year it will take place from December 1-5 at the Fairmont Southampton Princess.

There will be a special pre-conference session from November 30-December 1 on ?Dialogues to Address Health and Quality of Life Issues Among the Ageing?. The event is open to anyone aged 55 years and older, and will address issues common among the ageing.

During the conference proper there will be two academies held for young people. One is for teens 13-17 years old, with the other for college/university students. ?Each focuses on peer leadership, cultural understanding, racial harmony, HIV/AIDS, violence, and alcohol and other drug prevention,?Mrs. Minors said. ?They also address physical health, mental health, and education issues.?

There will also be four post-conference sessions from December 5-7 with two on leadership, Mrs. Minors said.

?These two events are intended to expose our community, from young school-age children to seniors, to systems and discussions that are intended to enhance and strengthen them as individuals, as well as providing opportunities for helping professionals to meet and interact with their peers in an environment that would nurture professional development.

?These conferences can only benefit Bermudian society, and I encourage all those who are able to participate in these events.?