Young Minds Academy 4th season launched

CEBU, Philippines - The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. once again officially launched the 4th season of the Young Minds Academy yesterday at the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center.

This is in line with the upcoming 2010 national elections. YMA will be looking at issues and concerns related to governance which is the theme for the current season.

RAFI, a social development non-profit organization founded in 1966 and based in Cebu City, has been engaged in the field of citizenship and human development since its early beginnings.

In its more than 40 years of existence, the foundation has ‘replicated’ itself and ‘produced’ institutions and individuals serving the needs of their respective constituencies and leading efforts in addressing social challenges.

The foundation’s central focus remains targeted on transforming human capital towards national development and global citizenship.

Young Minds Academy is one of the many inter-related initiatives and efforts of the foundation.

YMA is a youth leadership and citizenship development program of RAFI, through the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center, aimed at developing young emerging leaders aged 12-30 years old.

Young Minds Academy is a scholarship provided by RAFI using experiential education and problem-based learning approaches.

Scholars will be exposed to real issues and concerns of our society anchored on the theme for the year.

This will enable them to formulate possible solutions through a project proposal and scholars will also undergo a series of competence and character development training.

YMA also desires the participant to become a responsible and pro-active citizen and accountable leader, to become part of a generation of successors ready to serve the public and its interests, and to become world citizens promoting the virtues of peace, pluralism, respect and multi-cultural understanding.

Each year, the academy anchors its program and modules to a specific theme that serves as the foundation for the annual objectives, criteria and guidelines, module and program design and strategies.

The program is open for application to all qualified young people ages 12-30 who are interested and committed to be equipped and to serve the community in the areas of social development.

The scholarships will be granted on a team basis per category and interested candidates will undergo the process of application and screening before they will be admitted to the Academy and awarded with the scholarship.

  A covenant will be signed between and among RAFI-YMA, the program sponsors, the scholars composing the qualified team and the team accountability partner.   The Academy then admits the qualified scholars/team to the program.

Scholars are categorized based on the following: Generation 3: 12-16 years old, Generation 2: 17-20 years old, and Generation 1: 21-30 years old.

 Interested applicants may visit the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center or checkout www.rafi.or.ph/youngmindsacademy to know the requirement and get/ download the application forms.

Deadline of submission will be on October 26, 2009.

For queries, please call Mel Yan at 418-7234 loc 110 or email [email protected]. — Johanna T. Natavio/MEEV   (FREEMAN NEWS)