A platform was provided for talented youth to showcase their skills when the Pleion Foundation, in collaboration with the National Peace Programme, hosted the second edition of the Level Up Concert last weekend at Freedom Square in The City.
Level Up, which stands for Love Eradicates Violence, Elevates Life, Unite in Peace, continues to serve as a movement promoting youth development.
Director of the Pleion Foundation, Sheldon Jones, explained that the event was held to create a positive space for young people.
“We partnered with the National Peace Programme to put on these events for the youth to encourage other youth to live lives of positivity, lives of love, and lives devoted to the things of God,” Jones said.
The Foundation, which is based at Roebuck Street, meets on Saturdays and runs a wide range of development programmes to help participants navigate life’s challenges. Explaining their mission, Jones noted, “We provide youth coaching, empowerment and education. Our goal is to encourage and uplift youth and help them through the different stages of life and we have different programmes to facilitate that in different areas.”
Among these initiatives are the Boys to Men, Girls to Women, Youth Excel, and Children of Destiny programmes — the latter catering to participants as young as five years old. Though each programme adopts different approaches, all focus on mentorship, leadership, and life skills.
The Youth Excel programme is now in its fifth year, Girls to Women in its third, and Boys to Men in its second.
The concert, which was produced by participants ranging in ages from 11 to 19, featured a variety of creative expressions, including instrumental performances, dance, and vocalists covering a range of genres.
All performances were centred on this year’s theme, Be You, encouraging young attendees to embrace their individuality, self-worth, and positive values, while promoting peace and self-expression.
During a live, on-stage interview segment, some programme participants spoke confidently about the significant impact the initiative has had on their lives.
Jones also used the opportunity to encourage parents to enrol their children in any of the programmes.
“Any parents who just want something positive for their children to be involved in can sign them up. It’s absolutely free, refreshments are provided for them as well.
“They leave with a full mind and a full stomach,” Jones said.
(STT)
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