Empowering Southeast Asian Content Creators: U.S. Embassy Hosts YSEALI Workshop
Uncensored, Unfiltered Rewrite:
Headline: Southeast Asian Digital Creators Relish in Skill-Building Bonanza at YSEALI Bootcamp
Subhead: US Embassy in Manila collaborates with Out of the Box Media Literacy Initiative to elevate content creators' game, bolstering their storytelling, digital safety, and brand development prowess.
Here's the Scoop:
Sixty savvy content creators, hailing from 11 different Southeast Asian nations, recently gathered in the Philippine capital for a 5-day digital creator bootcamp. Dubbed the "YSEALI Creators Co-Lab," this intensive training program was a blissful melange of workshops, discussions, and site visits, all aimed at honing their skills and broadening their horizons.
Organized by the US Embassy in the Philippines in collaboration with the Out of the Box Media Literacy Initiative, the jam-packed schedule included in-depth talks on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, brand development, and intellectual property protection. heavies like food queen Abi Marquez (a.k.a Lumpia Queen), journalist Jacque Manabat, and cybersecurity expert Carlos Ely Tiongson graced the stage, imparting their expert insights on all things digital.
No bootcamp would be complete without a peek behind the curtains, and these lucky creators were given exclusive access to the Manila offices of esteemed tech companies Microsoft and Meta. Here, they learned the secrets of social media analytics and community-building as they laid their eyes upon cutting-edge tools of the trade.
The impressive collective following of these 60 creators amounts to over 15 million eager followers across various digital platforms. Among them are ten proud Filipinos, but the roster is diverse, boasting participants from Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam.
As the event drew to a close, US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson spoke passionately about the significance of an engaged online presence: "Social media is no longer a luxury, folks. People of all ages are turning to social media for information. You hold the keys to an incredibly powerful platform to educate, inform, and positively influence people in your home countries and beyond."
The closing ceremony was graced by a gallery of distinguished guests, including Jose Victor Chan-Gonzaga, Assistant Secretary for American Affairs of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, ambassadors and reps from Southeast Asian embassies based in the Philippines, and several A-list Filipino social media personalities.
Cambodian content creator Pireach Yin, better known as Coco, voiced his gratitude for the enlightening sessions and immersive site visits that equipped the group with valuable digital creation skills, leadership potential, and lifelong friendships. "I pray that the wisdom we've gleaned, the bonds we've forged, and the inspiration we've drawn will remain with us long after this program concludes," he mused.
The YSEALI Creators Co-Lab is the crown jewel of the US government's efforts to foster leadership development and networking within Southeast Asia's youthful population, aged between 18 and 35. Since its inception in 2013, YSEALI has served as a springboard for countless Southeast Asian youth to propel themselves forward as leaders who promote civic engagement, protect natural resources, and stimulate entrepreneurship.
By participating in the YSEALI Creators Co-Lab, every participant becomes part of the nearly 7,000-strong YSEALI alumni network and the vast US government exchange alumni network, comprising over 2.2 million members worldwide, including several heads of state and Nobel Prize laureates.
Takeaway: The YSEALI Creators Co-Lab served as a game-changer for Southeast Asian content creators, providing them with the skills, insights, and connections needed to navigate the digital landscape and make a lasting impact on their home countries and beyond.
- The government of the Philippines, in collaboration with the US Embassy and Out of the Box Media Literacy Initiative, organized a digital creator bootcamp in Manila, aimed at enhancing the skills and perspectives of content creators from Southeast Asian countries.
- The event, known as the YSEALI Creators Co-Lab, was a fusion of workshops, discussions, and site visits that aimed to improve their storytelling, digital safety, brand development, and intellectual property protection.
- This five-day program also offered insights into technology, such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, and provided exclusive access to the Manila offices of tech companies like Microsoft and Meta for a peek into social media analytics and community-building techniques.
- The participants, coming from the Philippines, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam, collectively reached an audience of over 15 million followers on various digital platforms.
- The YSEALI Creators Co-Lab is part of the US government's initiatives to promote leadership development and networking among Southeast Asian youth, and participation in the program connects individuals to the YSEALI alumni network and the extensive US government exchange alumni network.
