Pele FC Alumni concludes another successful educational seminar for Guyanese youth

In its continued efforts to help develop well-rounded individuals, the Pele Football Club Alumni Corporation successfully completed another instalment of its annual Easter Youth Educational Seminar on Wednesday in Georgetown, Guyana.

The two-day programme, held in the auditorium of Marian Academy, attracted over 80 teenaged boys and girls, who were the targeted beneficiaries of the Alumni’s investment in youth empowerment.

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Chairman Denis Carrington said the Pele Alumni was formed in 2012 to coincide with the club’s 40^th anniversary, with specific focus on sport, education and basic life skills.

“These two days were an upgrade and a continuation of what we had over the years- continuation of stressing things like etiquette, importance of dental hygiene, and linking with each other to minimise and reduce the threat of being bullied. It was really to broaden the scope of their learning, not only from the standpoint of sports, but from continuing education,” Carrington told News Room.

On the final day, table tennis player Isaiah Layne, a product of the seminar, shared a testimonial with the 2026 batch.

As a high school student at St. Stanislaus, Layne had gained a scholarship from the Pele FC Alumni and is currently pursuing his advanced pilot licence.

In sharing his sport and academic journey with the participants, Layne urged them to follow their dreams, but be prepared to put in the work to achieve their goals.

Executive Member of the Alumni Patrick ‘Labba’ Barton, who is also the Treasurer and a former national player, said the seminar forms part of the Alumni’s programme of giving back to the nation’s children.

“Well over one thousand children have benefitted from this investment over the years, and we will continue to make this a priority.”

Barton added: “Football is the sport that made us who we are, affording many of us the opportunity to study in the USA and here we are today. We want to let our valued young people know that with discipline, commitment and the will to achieve, they too can emulate and even do better than us.”

Fellow Executive Member, Eric ‘Riggy’ Smith echoed Barton’s sentiments and informed that a solid education foundation is vital in sport and the Pele FC Alumni is committed to playing its part in helping the students to strike that balance.

Among the topics the participants were exposed to during the interactive sessions were dental hygiene, mental health/suicide, healthcare, social etiquette, self-esteem, banking/finance, importance of reading and aviation.

Several special prizes were presented to the students, among them laptops, drones and educational supplies. They were also given self-care packages.