YSEALI Seeds for the Future
The Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Seeds for the Future Program is a small grants competition to support innovative initiatives in Southeast Asia. It provides funding for the region’s most promising young leaders to carry out projects that improve their communities, countries, and the region across the program themes of Civic Engagement, Economic Empowerment and Social Entrepreneurship, Education, and Environmental Issues. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and is funded through a grant from the U.S. Mission to ASEAN. Cultural Vistas began administering the program in 2017.
Learn More About YSEALI Seeds Grant Recipients:
Meet Our 2022 YSEALI Seeds Grant Recipients
ASEAN Youth Advocates Network Brunei Darussalam (AYAN Brunei)
Providing a platform for programs to further inform and harness relevant skills for ASEAN youths in creating a positive social impact.
E-Circular
Improving access to PC and digital literacy through subscription program for economically disadvantaged students in Cambodia.
Get to know the project here!
Food Heroes Aksata Pangan
Fighting food insecurity and tackling surplus unsold bread by empowering volunteers in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia.
#MudaTahanBencana
Building youth disaster resilience at high-risk area in Yogyakarta Indonesia through community empowerment and gamification website.
Seribu Project
Improving Nutrition Education by Providing Training for female Adolescents and Mothers in West Nusa Tenggara Indonesia.
Sign To Read
Creating accessible sign language storybooks to support the literacy development of deaf people in Vietnam and Laos.
Get to know the project here!
KAMI untuk SEMUA
Empowering Malaysian female students to be advocates against inequality through online capacity building and campaigning.
Get to know the project here!
Bluepreneur Asia Initiative
Implementing the ‘Bluepreneur Ocean Bootcamp’ & ‘Impact Consulting Program’ to solve ocean problems while optimizing social sustainability within Southeast Asia regions.
Get to know the project here!
ICT4Educators
Empowering Myanmar basic education teachers with technology knowledge & digital literacy.
Get to know the project here!
Say-Ku
Creating mobile phone application to advise healthcare to patients with fever in Myanmar.
Mountain Support
Bringing human-centered solutions to off-grid mountainous communities in The Philippines through collaborative efforts.
SKale Up
Nurturing enabling mechanisms for genuine Sangguniang Kabataan representation in the Philippines.
SEAdlings
To unite ASEAN agricultural stakeholders through a summit and digital exhibition.
ASEAN MakeITSafe
ASEAN MakeITsafe is a Thailand-based interactive platform for ASEAN youth to redesign Cybersecurity solutions through D-Thinking and Hackathon.
SheStar
Develop young mother skills by training in communication, art & culinary to avoid isolation and poverty in municipalities of Dili, Ainaro, Bobonaro in Timor-Leste.
Cà Mèn Project
Establishing a mediatorial system connecting vendors and customers via last-minute deals to reduce food waste in Vietnam.
Contact
Cultural Vistas Founded in 1963, Cultural Vistas is a nonprofit exchange organization promoting global understanding and collaboration among individuals and institutions. It develops international professional experiences that create more informed, skilled, and engaged citizens. Every year, Cultural Vistas’ 30-plus unique exchange programs empower thousands of individuals and organizations in the United States and more than 135 countries to drive positive change in themselves, their organizations, and society. 212.497.3500 | yseali@culturalvistas.org | culturalvistas.org
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I better prepare my YSEALI Seeds application?
We strongly encourage you to join live webinars listed on this website. It is a unique chance to ask your questions first-hand. You can view the previous webinar recordings on Cultural Vistas YouTube channel. Through the webinars you will learn more about creating successful YSEALI Seeds application and budget proposal, as well as receive some advice from the previous YSEALI Seeds grantees.
Who can submit a proposal?
To submit a proposal you must be a registered YSEALI member, be from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, or Vietnam, be between the ages of 18 and 35 and have a project that addresses at least one of the following themes:
- Civic Engagement
- Economic Empowerment and Social Entrepreneurship
- Education
- Environmental Issues
Can I submit more than one project proposal?
No, you may be listed only on one 2023 YSEALI Seeds for the Future proposal. Submitting multiple proposals with the same team-members could negatively impact your chances at being selected.
What makes a successful project proposal?
A successful project is one that is feasible, innovative, reproducible, and scalable making a tangible difference in any one of the four YSEALI themes. Make sure to tune in for one of the live webinars to learn more.
Is there a maximum or minimum number of people on a team for a proposal?
There is no maximum, however, there should be an appropriate number of people in relation to the size and scale of the project. Additionally, the strongest proposals will have different people in each of the three leadership roles of Project Leader, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Does my project need to affect more than one ASEAN country?
No. However, the strongest proposals will offer solutions that can be replicated in more than one country or region.
Does my project need to have members from more than one ASEAN country?
No. However, the strongest proposals will encourage cross-border collaboration.
Does my proposal need to be in English?
Yes, all proposals must be written in English. Proposals submitted in languages other than English will be disqualified.
Can my project receive funding outside of the 2023 YSEALI Seeds for the Future Grant program?
Yes, all projects will be encouraged to seek crowdfunding through Generosity.com or other platforms and to seek additional funds through the private sector to create as much impact as possible.
How do I come up with a budget?
Budgeting is one of the hardest and most critical parts of your proposal. You must list all appropriate and applicable costs while remaining cost-conscious and feasible. The most successful projects are realistic in their costs. Please use the budget template from the application to help you get started. Make sure to not include any sustained salaries or large equipment purchase in your budget as those are not within the scope of the YSEALI Seeds grant.
How will projects be evaluated?
Projects will be evaluated by Cultural Vistas staff in conjunction with U.S. Mission to ASEAN staff and sent off to a U.S. Department of State grants panel for final review and selection.
How will I know if my project was awarded funding?
The award announcement will occur in February-March 2023. You should plan on starting your project in March 2023 and finish it by December 2023. The winning teams will be notified first via email. Other applicants will also receive an email notification.
How will funding be dispersed?
If selected, you will receive 60% of your funds after submitting the answers to the follow-up questions based off your initial proposal requested by Cultural Vistas. You will then receive 35% of funds six months later, after submitting your monthly reports and your mid-term report. Finally you will receive the last 5% of the project funds after submitting your final report with project results.
What is Cultural Vistas' role?
Cultural Vistas will be your point of contact for the entire process and serve as your mentor to implementing your project. Any questions you may have on administration, budgeting, planning etc. Cultural Vistas will work with you. Additionally, Cultural Vistas will provide online mentorship to assist you in different aspects of your project from before, to during, to after the grant has completed.