Southern Leyte State U YouthMappers Represent at 2024 YouthMappers Leadership Fellowship Summit In Bangkok Thailand

Anne Marie Vic E. Lobo and Hyacinth Jane Villaverde, representing the Southern Leyte State U YouthMappers, participated in the international YouthMappers Leadership Fellowship Summit 2024. Taking place from June 9 to 17, 2024, this summit gathered emerging leaders worldwide to enhance collaboration and innovation in geospatial mapping for development and humanitarian initiatives.

YouthMappers, an international network of university-student-led chapters, organizes and implements mapping activities to respond to real-world development needs. By creating and using geospatial data and information on open platforms, YouthMappers chapters contribute significantly to global development initiatives. The network emphasizes learning, leadership, and impactful action, offering a unique opportunity for students and faculty advisors to engage in meaningful open mapping projects.

The YouthMappers Leadership Fellowship Summit 2024 aimed to build leadership capacity among students through technical training and hands-on experience in open mapping techniques. The fellowship provided participants with comprehensive pre-departure sessions, ongoing mentoring from international experts.

During the 10-day workshop, the SLSU YouthMappers representatives, alongside other fellows, received advanced training in geospatial data collection and analysis. They participated in intensive workshops, collaborative projects, and networking events, all designed to enhance their skills and knowledge. The summit emphasized the importance of using geospatial data to address various global challenges, such as climate change, gender inequality, and humanitarian crises.

Armed with new skills and insights, the SLSU YouthMappers representatives are now poised to implement impactful activities within the province of Southern Leyte including conducting leadership seminars, developing data collection efforts to combat climate impacts, launching gender programming, and offering technical workshops. These initiatives aim to address local challenges and contribute to sustainable development in the region. Through these efforts, they exemplify the spirit of YouthMappers in driving positive change locally and globally.