By Archelyn Sumampong 

A faculty member and two students of the BS Tourism Management (BSTM) program of Mariano Marcos State University received a grant under the 2024 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Seeds for the Future Grants Competition.

Funded by the US Department of State, the competition provides funding for promising young leaders to carry out projects that improve their communities, countries, and the region.

With Mr. Quincy Savellano as project leader, Project KARITON (Knowledge and Capacity Building to Advance Ilocos Norte Nursery Pupils' Reading, Communication, and Interpersonal Skills to Transform their Overall Capacity and Nurture their Abilities) was selected by YSEALI as one of the projects for implementation. Mr. Savellano is an instructor at the Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management Department. The US Department of State is providing a $6,319.60 grant to the project. 

Project KARITON is an initiative anchored to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education). It promotes education to nursery pupils in Ilocos Norte and aims to target various schools in the province to ensure equal access to opportunities.

Ms. Lucky Charm Palting, a 3rd year student, and Ms. May Eigene Aguilar, a 2nd year student of the BSTM program, will serve as core members of the project.

In line with the YSEALI grant, the project team will participate in the YSEALI Seeds for the Future Program Workshop in Bangkok, Thailand, from March 25 to 30. The workshop will equip the recipients with crucial skills to help hone their initiatives and allow the participants to network with their fellow recipients to ensure the project's success.