Education, Capacity Building, and Youth Engagement have been identified as key priority areas under the 12th Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP) of SEARCA, anchored on the theme Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation in Southeast Asia (SUSTAIN Southeast Asia). As a regional catalyst for agricultural and rural transformation, SEARCA recognizes youth inclusion as a critical cross-cutting strategy in advancing resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agrifood systems. This is particularly urgent given the rapidly aging agricultural workforce across Southeast Asia and the declining interest of young people in agriculture.
For nearly six decades, SEARCA has contributed to building the capacities of next-generation professionals across Southeast Asia through graduate scholarships, leadership programs, training initiatives, and knowledge-sharing platforms. Building on this legacy and responding to emerging regional needs, SEARCA will launch a new capacity-building initiative designed to develop a new generation of young leaders in sustainable agrifood systems. Called the SEARCA Youth Ambassadors Program (SAYAP) for Sustainable Agrifood Systems, this initiative recognizes young people not merely as beneficiaries of development interventions, but as active partners, innovators, advocates, and changemakers in agriculture and rural development (ARD).
Through this program, the youth ambassadors will serve as SEARCA champions on the ground, working in farming communities, local/national governments, academic institutions, civil society organizations, and innovation spaces where science, policy, and practice intersect. By implementing community-based initiatives, facilitating partnerships, advocating for evidence-based policies and practical solutions, and inspiring fellow young people to engage with agrifood systems, these youth ambassadors are envisioned to amplify and sustain SEARCA’s impact beyond institutional programs and into real-world action and transformation.
Contents
Program Goal and Objectives
To develop a new generation of innovative and systems-oriented young leaders capable of advancing sustainable agrifood system transformation in Southeast Asia.
Specifically, to:
- Strengthen leadership, communication, and systems-thinking competencies among young leaders in the agrifood system.
- Enhance youth participation in agrifood systems governance, innovation, and community development.
- Provide practical opportunities for young leaders to design and implement community-responsive initiatives.
- Foster mentorship, intergenerational learning, and regional collaboration among emerging and established leaders from SEARCA’s network and development partners.
- Build a sustainable network of youth leaders committed to inclusive and resilient transformation of the agrifood system.
Key Components and Timelines
LEARN (Youth Leadership Training and Matching with Mentors)
14–17 October 2026 | Onsite at SEARCA Headquarters, UPLB Campus, Los Baños, Laguna
This will serve as the initial engagement with the youth ambassadors to share and learn contemporary knowledge on agrifood systems, youth leadership, design/systems thinking, policy advocacy, communication, and project monitoring and evaluation. Learning approaches for the four-day leadership bootcamp include lecture-workshops, learning panels, case studies, peer learning exercises, field visits, and reflective learning. As a training output, participants will develop and submit a Learning Experience and Action Plan (LEAP), an individual project aligned with SEARCA’s 4Ps outcomes (pocket, plate, place, people) and key priority areas under SEARCA’s SUSTAIN Southeast Asia 12th Five-Year Development Plan. Throughout the program, the youth ambassadors will be guided by mentors who are experts in their respective fields.
ENGAGE (Immersion, Peer Learning, and Mentorship)
October–November 2026 | Hybrid
As part of the program completion requirements, participants will be grouped (based on geographical location or sub-sector) to implement an agriculture education or youth engagement initiative aimed at promoting greater youth participation in the agrifood system. These initiatives may include career orientation sessions, re-echo lectures, advocacy campaigns, or any creative educational interventions intended for elementary and secondary students. At this phase, youth ambassadors also immerse themselves in their workplaces or communities and virtually meet their mentors and peer learning circles to refine their LEAP and, if possible, begin implementing their action projects.
ACT (Action Learning and Project Implementation)
November 2026–February 2027
This component marks the actual implementation of the Youth Ambassadors’ individual projects, translating their LEAP into concrete initiatives within their respective communities, organizations, or sectors. Throughout the implementation period, peers and mentors may continue to provide both technical guidance and support to help the youth ambassadors navigate challenges and strengthen project execution. The action projects must be designed to be practical, community-responsive, and scalable, with an initial implementation period of three months. To ensure project feasibility, youth ambassadors must consider implementable projects within their sphere of influence and a reasonable timeline, such as a community-based skills training on agripreneurship, a policy advocacy at the municipal/provincial level, a campaign on climate-smart/urban agriculture, nutrition education in schools, a responsible food consumption caravan, or any initiative that is responsive and context-specific to the youth ambassadors’ school, communities or workplace.
DEEPEN (Completion, Sustained Leadership, and Alumni Engagement)
March 2027
As the culminating phase of the program, SEARCA and the Youth Ambassadors will reconvene online for a closing and synthesis session that highlights key insights, experiences, and lessons learned from the implementation of participants’ action projects. During this event, Youth Ambassadors will present their project outcomes, reflections, and personal leadership journeys, while mentors will likewise share insights from the mentoring and learning process. SEARCA will also award small grants for selected action projects that merit scaling up or a follow-through initiative. This phase also marks the formal completion of the program, during which participants will be awarded their Certificates of Completion and officially inducted into the SEARCA Training Alumni Network. As SEARCA Youth Ambassadors, program graduates will be encouraged to continue pursuing leadership pathways in agrifood systems by leveraging the networks, opportunities, and knowledge resources gained through the program and the broader SEARCA community.
Eligibility and Selection Criteria
- The pilot implementation in 2026 is for Filipino citizens aged 18 to 35 who are currently residing in the Philippines.
- Applicants must demonstrate strong interest, commitment, and potential to contribute to sustainable agrifood systems. Youth leaders must currently be engaged in any of the following categories:
Category Who you are Your Affiliation Academe & Research Students, researchers, faculty Universities and research institutes Private Sector & Agribusiness Young professionals, entrepreneurs, startup founders Agribusiness firms, agritech startups, food companies, MSMEs Government & Public Service Young government professionals and policymakers National/regional government agencies, LGUs Civil Society & Media Young farmers/fisherfolks, cooperative leaders, Indigenous youth, media practitioners Farmers' organizations, cooperatives, youth groups, media agencies - Demonstrates initiative, commitment to service, and potential to lead positive change within their organization, school, community, enterprise, or sector.
- Willing to conceptualize and implement a post-training education initiative for youth engagement and an action project aligned with the program objectives.
- Must be willing and able to participate in all program phases, including bootcamp sessions, mentoring activities, peer learning sessions, and post-program implementation requirements.
Funding
All selected participants will receive full grants for their participation in SAYAP. The grant covers round-trip air or land transportation, accommodation, meals, learning materials, and training kits during the Leadership Bootcamp in October. In addition, SEARCA will provide seed grants to five selected action projects with strong potential for expansion or scale-up.
Application Process and Requirements
- Fill out the SAYAP online application form.
- Attach to your application the following requirements:
- Learning Experience and Action Plan (LEAP) template that includes your learning expectations and a short concept note on an issue you want to address, an innovation you want to initiate, or an ongoing initiative you want to expand or scale up in the agrifood system (maximum of 3 pages)
- Valid ID (with name and birthdate)
- CV (maximum 3 pages)
- Nomination form from your supervisor/professor or an authority who knows your background and work in the agrifood system.
- Upload a short video introduction in English or Filipino. Within two minutes: state your name, current affiliation, and location, and briefly answer this question: Who is a person who inspires your work in agriculture or food systems? What leadership qualities do you admire most? (Sino ang taong nagbibigay-inspirasyon sa iyong gawain o adhikain para sa agrikultura o food systems? Anong mga katangian ng kanyang pamumuno ang higit mong hinahangaan, at bakit?)
The application deadline is 31 August 2026. However, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and slots may be filled before the deadline. Interested applicants are therefore encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible.
Contact Us
Interested in partnering with us for this training? Please contact Dr. Nova Ramos, Head, Education and Collective Learning Department-Training for Development Unit (ECLD-T4DU):