Future Leaders Bermuda launched its 2026 Summer Induction Programme at the Cabinet Office, welcoming 16 students from Bermuda’s public and private schools into a three-week programme of academic study, hands-on education and meaningful community service. This year’s programme will run from August 3 to 21 and will challenge participants to think critically about the issues shaping their island and the role they can play in addressing them.
Premier, the Hon. David Burt JP, MP, delivered opening remarks, emphasising the value of learning directly from Bermudians who have contributed to the life of the country. “When students see those examples for themselves, it reinforces their belief that their own contributions to the wider community matter.”
This year’s cohort will explore seven core units including Service and Community Building, Poverty, Crime and Inequality, Identity and Privilege, Leadership and Self-Determination, and Social Justice and Entrepreneurship. By the end of the three weeks, students will have accumulated 90 hours of community service and co-curricular activity.
Assistant Director Seon Tatem introduced this year’s participants and announced a signifi cant expansion to the programme. Upon completing the Summer Induction Programme, students will automatically enter ‘phase two’, a mandatory three-year journey running through to September 2029, where they will be placed into small “Pods” mentored by senior alumni and staff across six pillars: Wealth, Care, Relationships, Business & Career, Spiritual and Health.
Mr. Tatem also spoke to this year’s theme, which centres on political activist and author Assata Shakur and her words: “I believe that to gain our liberation, we must come from the position of power and unity.”
“To our Future Leaders, you are our answer to Bermuda’s greatest challenges, and our reminder that when you operate from a place of unity and recognize your inherent power, true liberation and progress are within reach.”
Incoming Future Leader Yemaya Iris, a student of Somersfield Academy, closed the press conference by sharing what drew her to the programme. “I dream of a Bermuda where equality, support, and opportunity are promised to every young Bermudian, ensuring we all reach our fullest potential. I believe this Bermuda can be achieved through programmes such as Future Leaders.”
Future Leaders Bermuda extends its gratitude to the Government of Bermuda Cabinet Offi ce, HSCM Bermuda, the Centennial Bermuda Foundation and its community partners -- such as the Mental Health Plan Research Team, Midland Heights Seventh Day Adventist Church, Aries Sports Center, the Salvation Army, the Department of the Judiciary, the Information Commissioner’s Offi ce, Agra Living Institute, Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda, and the United States Consulate -- for their continued support and investment in Bermuda’s youth.
