The 3rd Future Bridging Leaders Program (FBLP 3) of the AIM TeaM Energy Center for Bridging Leadership (AIMTEC) has just opened for applications. To give interested individuals a better idea about the country’s premiere youth leadership program, here is a quick review of what happened in the FBLP 2 that run from February 2018 to January 2019.
Workshop 1: Ownership
From over 600 individuals who applied for the program, thirty-five (35) fellows were selected and invited to the first workshop at the Asian Institute of Management campus last March 19 to 23, 2018 to begin their FBLP journey. The structure of the workshop series is based on the Bridging Leadership (BL) Framework that posits three main phases of BL, with Workshop 1 focusing on the first phase which is “Ownership”.
“Ownership” is described as the phase when an individual realizes that he/she is a part of a specific social problem, and that he/she possesses a capacity to solve it. To enrich the fellows’ understanding of this, sessions on systematic analysis, systems thinking, action learning and research, and theory of change were delivered by Professors Manuel De Vera, Nieves Confesor, Ronald Chua, Antonio Perez, Milagros Lagrosa, and Dynah Basuil. These sessions sought to teach fellows scientific approaches in identifying social problems and situating themselves in these.
Workshop 2: Co-Ownership and Co-Creation
On May 27 to June 1, 2018, the fellows came back for the second workshop that focused on the phases “Co-Ownership” and “Co-Creation” in the BL Framework. “Co-Ownership” is the phase in which the leader engages different members of the community and helps them recognize their stake in the social problem. Sessions on Rapid Area Assessment (RAA), stakeholder management, and multi-stakeholder dialogue were given by Professors Manuel De Vera, Jacinto Gavino and Nieves Confesor, and Mr. Ricky de Castro, Executive Director of TeaM Energy Foundation, Inc. (TEFI).
For the “Co-Creation” phase, when a leader facilitates collaborative action among stakeholders to generate a solution for the social problem, sessions on innovation and project management were delivered by Professors Matthew Escobido and Carmen Testa.
The fellows were also toured around the IdeaSpace Foundation headquarters and given the opportunity to listen to the stories of technopreneurs whose start-up businesses have provided alternative solutions to societal divides in different communities.
After the sessions, the fellows were asked to write proposals for their change prototypes, which were evaluated and given comments for revision on the last day of the workshop. They were also tasked to conduct their Rapid Area Assessments, pilot the implementation of their change prototypes, and submit Action Learning Reports during the interval to the third workshop.
Workshop 3: Co-Creation and Pitching Change
Twenty-three (23) fellows who were able to consistently submit reports on the development of their change prototypes and their engagement with their communities were invited back for the third and final workshop on January 21 to 24, 2019. This final workshop continued the discussion on the topic of “Co-Creation”, with emphasis on strategies in establishing social networks and institutional arrangements that can ensure the success and sustainability of social change projects.
Sessions on negotiating change, building the public narrative, community engagement, institutionalizing social change projects, and pitching change prototypes were delivered by Professors Manuel de Vera, Richard Cruz and Gaston Ortigas, and development practitioners Ms. Junica Soriano and Mr. Isaac Linco. At the end of the sessions, a reflective exercise that aimed to help the fellows synthesize their leadership journeys during the FBLP was facilitated by Prof. Milagros Lagrosa.
Public Recital and Graduation Ceremony
Individuals and personalities from the government, NGOs, multi-lateral organizations, embassies, corporate foundations and BL alumni attended the public recital and graduation ceremony last January 25, 2019. At the beginning of the event, there was an open exhibit showing comprehensive summaries of the fellows’ change projects. Fellows discussed their projects with the guests, some of whom expressed an interest in funding or supporting their projects.
The board of panelists tasked to choose the Top 3 among the 19 change prototypes, based on the presentations of the fellows, was composed of Mr. Jeffrey Tarayao (Executive Director, One Meralco Foundation), Ms. Diane Eustaquio (Executive Director, IdeaSpace Foundation), Prof. Matthew Escobido (Adjunct Faculty, AIM), Ms. Rayana Bahjin (Project Officer, International Alert Philippines) and Ms. Teresa Lopez (Vice President, TEFI).
In the end, “Urban Agriculture PH” by Earwin Belen was awarded first place while “PAGbASA” by Brian Adam Anay and “Hilab, Hilom, Halinhan” by Reycel Hyacenth Bendaña were awarded second and third places, respectively. Mr. Ricky De Castro, Executive Director of TEFI, announced that the foundation will provide funding for the winning projects.
The event ended with cocktails and networking among the fellows and guests.
To check out all of the change projects by the FBLP 2 fellows, visit bit.ly/FBLP2Projects. If you want to know more about the upcoming FBLP 3, visit bit.ly/FBLP3INFO. You can also call 892-4011 ext. 5607 or send an email to teamenergycenter@aim.edu.