SK Chairperson from Talibon, Herben Rhoy G. Ranay, recently awarded as an Outstanding SK Chairperson of the Philippines for 2022, has been selected as an Academic Fellow in the prestigious and highly competitive Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) by the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines. Herben is one of only six representatives from the Philippines and among 21 young leaders from 11 countries in Southeast Asia for the Fall 2022 cohort.
YSEALI is a signature program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). The program was launched in 2013 to strengthen leadership development across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), deepen engagement with young leaders on key regional and global challenges, and strengthen people-to-people ties between the United States and Southeast Asia.
The YSEALI Academic Fellowship on Civic Engagement will provide fellows with an overview of how citizens have shaped U.S. history, government, and society both as individuals and as groups. The Fellowship will define civic engagement, examine its development in the United States, and explore topics such as active citizenship, community building, economic development, grassroots activism, and volunteerism. Other topics discussed are civil rights, social justice, entrepreneurship, ethics, leadership, and media. Fellows will also have the opportunity to meet with community leaders, entrepreneurs, and representatives of non-profit organizations. Throughout the Fellowship, participants will develop innovative and practical plans to become engaged citizens in their communities. The University of Nebraska at Omaha and Portland State University will conduct and host the fellowship.
