More than 160 Governor General’s Youth Award participants from various public and private schools, as well as civic organizations, received their GGYA Silver and Bronze Award certifications during a ceremony at the Breezes Bahamas Resort on Thursday, May 22nd, 2025.
Hundreds of parents and supporters packed the Seabreeze Ballroom at the resort to cheer on and congratulate the participants for their achievements. Awardees were praised for their hard-work, passion, and commitment to growth as they endured the numerous rough and rigorous parts of their adventures. The Bronze Awards takes a minimum of six months for each participant working in a voluntary service combined with physical recreation. Participants must also take part in an adventurous journey hiking expedition that covers at least 15 miles, spanning two days and one night.
Silver Award participants should also have engaged in six months of physical recreation, skills, and voluntary community service. However, their adventurous journey spans three days and two nights, with a hiking expedition covering a minimum of 30 miles of unfamiliar territory.
Special invited guests included Acting Deputy British High Commissioner Mr. Geoffrey Roberts and Director of Youth Ms. Sandena Neely, who were both on hand to present
the awardees with their certificates.
Over 100 New Providence Students and Volunteers Complete Bronze Q Expedition in Eleuthera, Signalling a Renewed Era of Youth Participation for the GGYA
Nassau, Bahamas — March 23, 2026 — The Governor General’s Youth Award (GGYA) Bahamas marked a significant milestone this past weekend, March 20–22, 2026, as 113 students from 7 schools and 25 volunteers successfully completed the Bronze Qualifying (Q) Expedition in Eleuthera — the largest group to undertake this challenge since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. New Providence units travelled to the island of Eleuthera for the multi-day outdoor adventure, in what organisers are calling a defining moment in the programme’s post-pandemic growth.
The Bronze Q Expedition is a cornerstone of the GGYA Bronze Award, requiring participants aged 14 or older to plan and complete an overnight journey through unfamiliar terrain. This year’s first cohort navigated the natural landscape of Eleuthera — away from the familiarity of Nassau — cooking outdoors, managing unexpected challenges, and relying on one another in ways that no regular classroom can replicate. For many, it was their first time travelling off the island without their parents. For others, it was their first time leaving New Providence altogether.
The numbers alone tell a compelling story of resurgence. According to GGYA National Director Jacquetta Lightbourne-Maycock, what unfolds on the trail — and in the personal reflections students submit afterwards — reveals something far more profound about the value of these experiences for today’s young Bahamians.
“These experiences allow us to take a step back from what our normal lives would be and look at how young people, when given the opportunity, can prove to be resilient. They can prove to be self-sufficient; they can prove to be critical thinkers and conflict-resolvers within their own context, within their own groups amongst their peers. And I think that’s important for young people who are growing up in this age where technology and AI answers everything for them. This brings them back down to earth to have a more human interaction.”
— Jacquetta Lightbourne-Maycock, National Director, GGYA Bahamas
Perhaps the most telling evidence of the expedition’s impact is not only from organisers, but from the students themselves. Following each expedition, participants are required to submit a written personal reflection — an account of their journey in their own words. The results, says Lightbourne-Maycock, are consistently surprising.
Rather than dwelling on the early mornings, the long hikes, or the physical exhaustion, students write about the friendships formed, the beauty of the Bahamian outdoors, and above all — the pride they felt in completing something they never thought they could. Many express a desire to do it again. Some describe it as the first time they have ever truly felt proud of themselves.
“Overall, the GGYA hike was a remarkable and unforgettable experience. It tested our physical strength, patience, and teamwork. There was a moment when we got lost, and it could have discouraged us, but instead it became one of the most valuable parts of the journey.”
— Bronze Participant, St. Augustine’s College Award Centre
The expedition also creates a series of meaningful ‘firsts’ for participants — travelling on a mailboat, cooking over an open fire, camping overnight, navigating an unfamiliar island, and for several young people, their first journey away from home without a parent. These milestone moments, GGYA believes, are foundational to building the kind of confident, capable citizens that The Bahamas needs.
“They would complain verbally and sometimes along the way you would see the look of defeat where they feel as though they want to give up sometimes. But most of the reflections that they give following the expedition is about the other participants that they meet and the fun that they had. They use words like ‘it was beautiful’, or ‘the island was so clean’. And for that to come from today’s young person, to appreciate those simple things, it says a lot. They are aware and more observant than we give them credit for sometimes. They also express how they feel proud of themselves—and you would never know that just by standing by and observing.”
— Jacquetta Lightbourne-Maycock, National Director, GGYA Bahamas
Maycock also used the occasion to call for a broader national conversation about integrating non-formal learning into the Bahamian school curriculum — particularly in public high schools. She points to the growing adoption of outdoor and experiential programmes by private and international schools as evidence of their value, and argues that all Bahamian students deserve access to the same transformative experiences.
“If there is a way that we can incorporate this into our school curriculums — especially public high schools — I think it makes for a better community; it makes for better citizenship. The school environment by itself today is not enough to prepare them for what to expect when they get out into the world.”
— Jacquetta Lightbourne-Maycock, National Director, GGYA Bahamas
The GGYA programme is built on four key pillars: Voluntary Service, Physical Recreation, Skills development, and the Adventurous Journey. Participants work toward Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award levels, with each stage demanding greater commitment and personal growth. The Bronze Expedition is among the first major milestones on that journey — and this year, over 100 young Bahamians crossed it together. Schools in attendance were Aquinas College, C.C. Sweeting Open Award Centre, Enusta Academy, International School of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Technology (ISBET), Queen’s College, St. Andrew’s International School, and St. Augustine’s College.
Families, educators, and community partners are encouraged to learn more about the GGYA and how young people between the ages of 14 and 24 can enrol. For more information, contact National Director Jacquetta Lightbourne-Maycock.
