Applications for marine and maritime project grants for US government alumni now open!

The Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Sea and Earth Advocate (SEA) Camp is a project of Save Philippine Seas (SPS) and the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines to empower youth to be leaders in marine conservation. Since 2015, it has supported over 100 community-based, youth-led projects in Southeast Asia through small grants and mentorship. This year, the YSEALI SEA Camp is opening its call for project grants to all Filipino alumni of U.S. international exchange programs (e.g., PYLP, SEAYLP, YES, Fulbright).

Projects must be related to marine or maritime issues, and must be implemented between April-June 2022. Projects can include, but are not limited to, awareness-raising campaigns, education programs, and capacity-building activities. Four projects will be selected to receive seed funding of up to PhP150,000 (approximately US$1,500) and guidance from the SPS team during implementation. There is no age limit for the applicants. Projects must address marine and/or maritime issues and benefit youth in the Philippines as the target audience or participants.

PROJECT THEMES

Priority will be given to project proposals that focus on marine or maritime issues and tackle one or more of the following topics:

• Marine conservation during a global pandemic

• Ocean and climate change

• Marine environment protection in the South China Sea

• Welfare of seafarers and/or fisherfolk

• Community-based conservation

• Small-scale fisheries/artisanal fisheries

• Ocean governance

Projects may be new or already existing.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

The application has two components: a short online application form that collects background information about the proponent and a project proposal in deck form.

• Online application form: Applicants can read and answer the Word document before filling in the online form, which can be viewed and downloaded from here. Do not email a filled out copy of the Word document as your application form, unless there is a problem with submitting the online application form. If you are having problems accessing the online form, please inform Project Manager Bryan Madrera at seacampsummit@gmail.com YSEALI SEA Camp Summit Application.

• Project proposal: Please use the template provided and do not exceed the number of slides. Submit the slides in PDF as part of the online application form.

Deadline for applications is 11:59PM (GTM+8) on March 30, 2022. Late submissions will not be accepted. Applicants will be informed of the status of their application by April 8, 2022.