#Y4AGRI - SEARCA

#Y4AGRI is the banner youth engagement initiative of SEARCA. Guided by the principle of "by the youth, for the youth, and with the once youth," the program aims to nurture young people as partners and leaders for agricultural innovation.

Stakeholders and Pillars

#Y4AGRI aims to work for and work with out-of-school and in-school youth from school children and high school students to university students and young professionals (kiddies to yuppies).

The program's strategies and activities revolve around four pillars:

SEARCA as promoter

Pillar 1

Develop platforms promoting a transformative mindset in agriculture, particularly among children and youth in farming families and communities.

SEARCA as capacity-builder

Pillar 2

Improve youth access to information, technologies, and skills enhancement opportunities in modern agriculture.

SEARCA as champion

Pillar 3

Enhance youth participation in program and policy discussions on issues and opportunities for accelerating agricultural transformation.

SEARCA as enabler

Pillar 4

Recognize and support emerging youth leaders and groups advocating for youth led innovations in Southeast Asian agriculture.

The SEARCA Youth Ambassadors Platform (SAYAP) is an internal youth empowerment platform for young SEARCA staff to:

Provide opportunities for professional skills development.
Enhance youth leadership and participation to the design and implementation of SEARCA programs and activities of the 11th FYP.

SAYAP is a walk-the-talk initiative of SEARCA by engaging the "young ones" of SEARCA's workforce both from the program and administrative sectors of the Center. SAYAP members are provided with opportunities to enhance their skills, learn from the "once young," and take the lead in some activities that are by the youth, for the youth, and with the once youth.

SAYAP organizes SEARCArunungan para sa SEARCAbataan, an internal dialogue by and for the SEARCA young ones with the SEARCA young once. The dialogue is a conversational space to enable knowledge exchanges on topics that are essential for the youth's professional and personal development, as well as to gather youth perspectives on SEARCA's programs and activities.

Moreover, SAYAP also celebrates the annual International Youth Day with activities aligning with each year's theme.

Youth Initiatives

Youth in Agri Talk Show

Youth in Agri Talk Show is a non-academic and non-conventional approach to learning to promote agriculture and its importance to Southeast Asian youth, particularly those in basic education.

Episode 1: Agri 101 for the Youth

Guest: Dr. Glenn Gregorio, SEARCA Center Director

Watch Here

Episode 2: Winged Warriors: The Unsung Heroes of Agri-Land

Guest: Dr. Nur Azura Adam, SEARCA Deputy Director for Programs and an entomologist

Watch Here

Sowing Seeds

Sowing Seeds: Cultivating Youth's Future in Agriculture program aims to introduce senior high school (SHS) students to the vibrant world of agriculture and highlight its potential as a promising career path.

The program consists of two activities in partnership with senior high schools in Southeast Asia.

1

Lecture sessions and/or interactive activities with agripreneurs or experts in agriculture-related fields

Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba | 2 May 2024 | Laguna, Philippines

2

Development of information, education, and communication (IEC) materials featuring young agricultural experts enjoining the students to explore agriculture-related higher education courses

Pusat Asasi Sains Universiti Putra Malaysia (ASPutra) | 10 May 2024 | Selangor, Malaysia

Junior SAYAP

Junior SAYAP is a platform designed to empower student youth organizations and groups, fostering their active involvement in agricultural research and development (ARD). Through this initiative, students will be well-equipped to become advocates and ambassadors for sustainable agricultural practices, both within their schools and in their broader communities, promoting a culture of environmental stewardship and innovation.

We are looking for interested youth leaders to become pioneer members of the platform and serve as SAYAP's partners-on-the ground to:

Help disseminate IEC materials aimed at increasing awareness of the role of agriculture in food security and economic development.

Extend opportunities for skills development by engaging them in developing and implementing youth engagement activities.

How can YOUth get involved?

Go to bit.ly/searcaYouthVoices or scan the QR code.

SEARCA Youth
Stories Competition

SEARCA Youth Stories Competition is a video contest that aims to realize the challenges and adversities that the youth in agriculture experienced or are experiencing and gather their solutions and actions. This video contest serves as an avenue for the youth in agriculture to speak their minds, tell their stories, and be heard.

Southeast Asian Youth Fest

The Southeast Asian Youth Fest (SYF) brought together stakeholders, particularly young people, from across Southeast Asia to address the current state and future directions of food security in the region. The event was aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), focusing on goals 2, 9, 12, 13, and 17.

Under the theme "Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages," #Y4AGRI designed SYF to bridge generations. The event kicked off with a Regional Youth Forum—held virtually and open to the public—under the SEARCA Online Learning and Virtual Engagements (SOLVE) platform, facilitating dialogue between the current youth and previous generations. The second part of the event featured a Southeast Asian food exhibition, conducted onsite and by invitation, aimed at enhancing awareness and appreciation of food——how we produce, prepare, and consume it.

Learn more

Virtual Youth Camp

The Virtual Youth Camp is designed to enable youth perspectives on challenges and solutions in the agri-food system amidst and post-pandemic. On the first VYC, there were 21 Filipino youth representatives from the academe, business, civil society, and government sectors who shared insights on navigating the agri-food system and engaging the youth on it.