Youth leaders from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao LEVEL UP!

Twenty-nine (29) vibrant youth leaders from the regions of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao stepped up to the challenges of engaged advocacy as they attended the opening session of YouthIN Level Up (Youth for Inclusive Democracy: Stepping up to the Challenges of Engaged Advocacy) last 28 July 2023 using the Zoom virtual platform. The Executive Education Program of the Ateneo School of Governance (ASoG), in partnership with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), convened its alumni from the Youth for INclusive Democracy training sessions in 2021 (Luzon) and 2022 (Visayas and Mindanao), as well as alumni from FaSK Forward, Governance, and #CampusMEDIA.

This year’s YouthIN training program builds on the previous introductory modules on inclusive democracy and the role of the youth in championing good governance. In her welcome message during the opening session, Ms Reina Pelayo-Lino, Head of the ASoG Executive Education Program, affirmed the institution’s commitment to “support emerging leaders and provide [our] the participants with the means to make sense of [your] their leadership journey by giving the right foundation on good governance and meaningful participation.” Ms Tonette De Jesus, Senior Program Manager of KAS Philippines, mentioned that empowering the youth is vital to shaping a brighter and more inclusive future and this program is geared towards that. 

The YouthIN participants will be going through a series of blended synchronous (via Zoom) and asynchronous (via AteneoBlueCloud) modules, namely, Module 1: Social Media for Driving Social Good, to be discussed by Ms. Trisha Suresh, LinkedIn Head of Public Policy and Economic Graph, Southeast Asia, Ms. Monrawee Ampolpittayanant, Twitter Head of Public Policy, Government and Philanthropy, Southeast Asia, and Mr. Kristoffer Eduard M. Rada, ByteDance(TikTok) Head of Public Policy, Module 2: Creating Inclusive and Impactful Solutions, to be discussed by Ms. Irina Velasco, Head of Exploration of Accelerator Lab Philippines, United Nations Development Programme and Ms. Lei Montilla, Co-founder and Social Innovation Lead, AI4Gov, Module 3: Effective Networking Strategies, to be discussed by Ms. Mikaela Luisa Carmen Teves, Executive Director, SPARK! Philippines, Inc.. The YouthIN Training Director, Atty Marco Sardillo III, offered the participants some notes about the program through three (3) C’s: context, content, and cooperation. The youth leaders were enjoined to reflect on why they accepted the challenge as well as on the support that they received throughout their leadership journey (context). They were given a glimpse of the modules that will help them progress in development work (content) and, thus, were reminded to maximize these through diligently completing each activity and actively engaging with their peers (cooperation).

The opening session served a two-fold purpose: to give a briefer on the training program and to provide an avenue for the participants to get to know their co-leaders. From their self-introductions, they expressed their excitement to reinforce their technical skills with practical knowledge and experience within the context of coalition building, movements, and social change. Many shared their eagerness to meet, connect with, and network with their peers within the cohort. The YouthIN Level Up training program will run for a total of three (3) training weeks from 28 July to 18 August 2023, the last day of which shall be a hybrid learning session with the Local Government Unit of Quezon City.