Southeast Asia Youth Leadership Program (SEAYLP)
The Southeast Asia Youth Leadership Program (SEAYLP) was one of many youth exchange programs that have been implemented at Northern Illinois University. The program brought 50 high school students and 10 adult leaders from Southeast Asia to Northern Illinois University every year for a three-week leadership program. The program operated out of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies in collaboration with and funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The program focused on empowering youth, strengthening people-to-people ties and cultivating a more cohesive community identity in both the United States and Southeast Asia. Participants learned about environmental sustainability, economic and diplomatic security, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Additionally, participants worked on networking and collaborating within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Students engaged in sessions that encouraged participation, discussion, and hands-on learning. The program also offered field trips to attractions in the surrounding area, as well as Chicago and Washington, D.C., introducing more of American culture to the participants. Another highlight of the program was the weeklong homestay with an American family. The CSEAS recruited local host families for a week of hosting SEAYLP participants.
NIU's Center for Southeast Asian Studies hosted SEAYLP from 2009 to 2024, welcoming participants from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Global Youth Leaders Camp
American high school students with community service and leadership experience were also invited to participate in the program through a weekend Global Youth Leaders Camp and a three-day study tour to Washington, D.C. This free opportunity gave selected Illinois high school students, ages 15-17, a chance to interact with peers from 10 Southeast Asian countries, learn about diverse cultures, build lasting friendships, and to practice leadership and civic action skills.
