Recipients of the 2014 RBC Young Leaders Award of Distinction and Challenge Trophy pose for a group photo with Mr. Darryl White, Managing Director, RBC Royal Bank, and Dr. The Honourable Tim Gopeesingh, Minister of Education.

For more than 30 years, the bank has invested in the holistic development and empowerment of students through the RBC Young Leaders programme. The programme is RBC’s flagship educational initiative and underscores the bank’s commitment to young people throughout the region.

Hundreds of students from over 40 schools accepted RBC’s challenge to positively influence their schools and communities by making them more inclusive, nurturing environments, where each person can feel safe, valued, respected and achieve their fullest potential.

For their exceptional project on the theme ‘Diversity… the 21st Century Imperative’, the students of St. Stephen’s College were declared winners of the 2013/2014 RBC Young Leaders programme.

Their project resulted in upgrades to their school’s infrastructure, which now ensures that students with disabilities have wider access and better mobility. They also created an awareness campaign that educated their peers about the importance of treating persons with disabilities equitably.

Brazil Secondary School captured second place with their project,

RBC Young Leaders Programme creates Diversity Champions

The Young Leaders of Brazil Secondary School, recipients of the Award of Excellence

Young Leaders had an opportunity after the ceremony to review the many projects on display.

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which celebrated the various learning styles, academic abilities, skills and talents of their peers. The students at Manzanilla Secondary School were presented with the Award of Merit for their work, which encouraged students to diversify their education experience through the inclusion of extra-curricular activities.

Darryl White, Managing Director, RBC Royal Bank, was particularly impressed with the students’ submissions as the theme resonates with the bank’s corporate values.

“At RBC, diversity is one of the five corporate values that guides the way the bank runs its business. By drawing on the strength of diversity, we can meet new challenges and help create prosperity for our clients, employees, shareholders and communities,” White said.

Award of Distinction (1st place) St. Stephen’s College

Award of Excellence (2nd place) Brazil Secondary School

Award of Merit (3rd place) Manzanilla Secondary School Awards of Honor (4th to 10th place):Tranquility Secondary SchoolCouva East Secondary SchoolDiego Martin Central Secondary SchoolSt. Joseph’s Convent, Port of SpainBishop Anstey High SchoolPresentation College, ChaguanasPoint Fortin West Secondary School Judges' AwardSt. Anthony’s CollegeTrillium International School

2014 Most Outstanding Young LeaderChelsea Rampersad – Naparima Girls' High School

He added, “RBC recognises that to be a leader in diversity and a responsible corporate citizen, we must not only advance diversity within our organisation but we must proactively support and participate in community activities and educational programmes that help implement community solutions.”

RBC hosted its annual National Awards ceremony at the National Academy for the Performing Arts to honour the participants in this year’s programme. RBC used the occasion to pay special tribute to the late Margaret Walcott, who served as a Young Leaders judge for more than twenty years. Walcott, who passed away in March, was remembered for her selfless sacrifice and her dedication to the students and the programme.

At the ceremony, the bank also introduced the theme for the 2014/2015 project, ‘Digital Citizenship – Responsibly Navigating Technology’.

The new theme challenges students to become advocates for responsible digital citizenship through the promotion of technical and/or social skills that will enable others to be successful and safe in the information age.

Students have been asked to develop strategies that can prepare individuals for living and learning in a technology-rich society. Their projects should help others understand the need for personal responsibility as it pertains to their online

uses and should empower members of their school and community to make appropriate, ethical decisions in the online world.

Look out for the launch of the RBC Young Leaders Great Debate in September 2014, now in its 12th year.

RBC Young Leaders Programme creates Diversity Champions

Chelsea Rampersad of Naparima Girls' High School, named the 2014 Most Outstanding Young Leader receives the Award from Dr. The Honourable Tim Gopeesingh, Minister of Education.

Young Leaders of Manzanilla Secondary School showed their enthusiasm as the recipients of the Award of Merit.

Kendra Bournes of Scarborough Secondary School in a dramatization of the poem, 'Somebody'.