BANGKOK – The Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) has announced the awarding of 20 grants to teams of promising young leaders in all 10 ASEAN member states to implement projects across the themes of civic engagement, economic development, education, and environmental protection as part of its 2017 Seeds for the Future Grants Competition.

The 2017 grantees, each receiving grants ranging from $8,300 to $15,000, were selected from a competitive pool that included nearly 400 applications.

Next week, two representatives from all 20 projects will convene in Bangkok for a two-day coaching workshop, January 20-21, that will discuss reporting and project specifics, explore opportunities to cultivate additional funding, and begin crafting messaging strategies to help make project success more easily attainable.

The YSEALI Seeds for the Future program is sponsored by U.S. Department of State and is funded through a grant from the US. Mission to ASEAN. Moreover, one outstanding project that supports entrepreneurship across multiple countries is receiving funding support from the US-ASEAN Business Council.

Cultural Vistas will administer the program through 2017.

 

YSEALI Seeds for the Future 2017 Grant Recipients

Project Name (Nation(s) in which project will take place)
Click here to view full project abstracts

ARUS Academy (Malaysia)
Afterschool STEM programming and maker space for underprivileged children

Bikes in Yangon (Myanmar)
University bike share and cycling advocacy program

Borneo Eco-Warriors (Brunei/Malaysia)
Youth education program on Borneo Island focusing on the marine ecosystem

Dress the Dream (Thailand)
Raising awareness and money to end poverty for women working in the garment industry

EcoFunGo! ASEAN (Indonesia/Myanmar/Philippines)
Environmental-advocacy programming for kids aged 7-12 in three cities

Eco-Life Cambodia (Cambodia)
Training young entrepreneurs to tackle environmental challenges

EcoLead (Laos)
Environmental advocacy training program for secondary school students

Ecomentary (Philippines/Thailand/Vietnam)
Environmental filmmaking workshop that will award one group funds to produce a documentary

EduPlant 3 (Vietnam)
Public events and workshops to educate children about environmental issues

The Floating School (Indonesia)
Boat bringing educational programming and materials to disadvantaged youth

Food SECURE (Philippines)
Gardening and agri-preneurship training to help alleviate hunger in rural Philippines

Future Green Thumb Leader (Indonesia)
Extracurricular urban farming program in 3 Indonesian schools

Green Lady Cloth Pads (Cambodia/Vietnam)
Producing reusable pads and educating women on green feminine hygiene

Let’s Include All (Laos)
Training teachers on how to teach children with disabilities or language challenges

MYReaders (Malaysia)
Comprehensive literacy program designed for native Malaysian speakers

#startathon ASEAN+ (Brunei/Indonesia/Singapore/Malaysia/Myanmar/Thailand/Vietnam)
Events in nine cities to rapidly prototype ideas on “Technopreneurship for Gender Equality”

Viet Youth Pro Bono (Vietnam)
Equipping future lawyers with the tools to carry out pro bono work

Y-Farm(Cambodia/Laos/Myanmar/Thailand/Vietnam)
Training the next generation of organic farmers in the Mekong Region

Young Peacebuilders for Climate Action (Indonesia/Philippines/Thailand)
Program/event bringing 25 fellows together to learn about environmental peace-building

XX+XY (Philippines/Thailand)
Six-day camp for young adults to address the issue of gender inequality

About the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI)
Launched in 2013, YSEALI is the U.S. government’s signature program to strengthen leadership development and networking in Southeast Asia. Through a variety of programs and engagements, YSEALI seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youth in the region, strengthen ties between the United States and Southeast Asia, and nurture an ASEAN community of leaders who work across borders to solve common issues.

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