Up to five scholarships of a youth leadership program are now available for Vietnamese students who demonstrate their leadership ability through community and extracurricular activities, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi said last week on its website.

The 2015 Southeast Asia Youth Leadership Program (SEAYLP) is open for students in grades 10 and 11 at Vietnamese high schools who demonstrate leadership through academic work, community involvement and extracurricular activities, and proficiency in English to apply, according to an announcement posted December 3 on the website.

Besides proving their strong leadership qualities, students are also required to exhibit an appropriate level of maturity, open-mindedness and sociability within a group, as well as have permission from parents and schools to participate in the entire program.

The application deadline is 5:00 pm December 29. Up to five scholarships will be available for applicants who meet the criteria of the program.

Students who are interested in SEAYLP need to submit a complete online application form and two letters of recommendation with English translations if in Vietnamese from teachers or school officials.

Hosted by Northern Illinois University, SEAYLP is a three-week exchange program to promote leadership, civic responsibility, volunteerism and respect for diversity. It will include site visits, workshops, home stays and a study tour and will take place in April 2015. 

As the program focuses on leadership, youth development, and challenges the U.S. and ASEAN face in the 21st century, participants are required to implement follow-on projects that serve the needs of their communities in the months that follow their return home.

ASEAN stands for Association of Southeast Asian Nations that is comprised of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.  

SEAYLP also aims to strengthen people-to-people ties between the U.S. and Southeast Asia, engage young leaders, and cultivate the ASEAN community.

Further information can be found at https://sites.google.com/site/2015seaylp/home.

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