Sask. youth take leadership role for Inspire conference

Saskatoon will host a youth conference designed to inspire other young people in the province and around the world.

Inspire Our Nation will be held from March 31 to April 1 and is an opportunity for students around the province to practice leadership skills.

“We’ve been meeting since September,” event director, Kaitlyn Cey, told CTV News.

“There's 10 students from Ahtahkakoop nation 10 from Makwa Cree Nation and 10 from here in Saskatoon that have been together in this leadership program along with mentors to every youth has had a mentor and it's been an incredible community for us to grow our leadership.”

One of those youths, Seun Olabiyi, said she had been inspired to share her personal story.

“I personally have been really inspired to share my story at the conference. While the program has impacted me in a very good way. And so I'm hoping that my story will influence others and then bring light to the community.”

Cey said the theme of this year’s conference was ‘light extinguishes the darkness.’

“It's been powerful to dive into that topic together this year as a community, but now to be able to invite the community of Saskatoon in-person for this conference, but also online. People can join us from across the nation and are already registered actually from across the globe. So we're so excited,” she said.

“When we talk about leadership, what we mean is really living out our identity, knowing who we are, but also living with purpose knowing that we've been created on purpose.

“They will be having workshops, games, prizes, music, along with inspiring stories from local youth, presenters, and performers,” Cey said.

The event is already sold out, but those interested can still register to participate online.

“We’ve got people joining us from across the globe to hear the voices of our local Saskatchewan youth; their stories of courage and resiliency, and light,” Cey said.

She said the conference was geared towards those 12 to 19-years-old.