From Myanmar to Europe: Youth changemakers lead social impact initiatives

Photo from the 2025 Get Engaged Conference at the European Humanities University campus in Vilnius.

Have you ever dreamed of spending your summer traveling, meeting new people, learning, and making unforgettable memories? That’s exactly what Parami University students experienced this summer when they traveled to Lithuania—Europe’s hidden gem—to attend the 2025 Get Engaged Conference at the European Humanities University campus in Vilnius. 

The event was held both offline and online to ensure accessibility for youth from remote areas. Five Parami students were selected—three attended in person and two participated online from home. The conference brought together over 40 civic-minded student leaders from OSUN-affiliated higher education institutions worldwide to share, reflect, and reimagine students' roles as agents of change. Although they come from different parts of the world, they share the same purpose: to collaborate and widen their civic impacts locally and globally.

Parami students presented initiatives that empower Myanmar's youth and migrant communities by expanding access to education, life skills, mental health support, and creative learning opportunities—helping them overcome barriers in difficult social, economic, and political contexts.

White Tales: Empowering Young Minds through Storytelling

This initiative by Mozart Brang aims to instill reading habits and enhance emotional intelligence in children while promoting Myanmar children's literature locally and internationally. After the 2021 coup, children's literature in Myanmar continued to decline in production, with many children spending more time on screens and facing limited access to quality books due to rising costs. Its vision is for every child in Myanmar to have access to quality literature for both education and entertainment. The initiative runs storytelling programs such as Pilot Project at Yae Chan Sin in Hleden and Project Myat Shu at the Day Dream Mini Library in Insein, using diverse methods like story theatre, puppet shows, musical stories, and pictorial storytelling, all tailored to children's age, cultural context, and socio-economic background. Sessions use creative activities to build critical thinking, empathy, vocabulary, teamwork, and emotional understanding, leading to greater engagement, creativity, confidence, and positive behavior.

“The 2025 Get Engaged Conference gave me the chance to highlight the decline of children’s literature in Myanmar and connect with student leaders from over 20 institutions. Even online, I felt fully included and inspired to continue developing my skills through the conference” Mozart shared.

ACADBridge: Bridging Gaps to Higher Education for Myanmar Migrants

Led by Jue Jue Aung, ACADBridge addresses challenges faced by migrant workers—exploitative labor conditions, long hours, and digital skill gaps—as well as migrant students' struggles with limited internet access, teacher shortages, and restrictive free GED programs. The project offers digital and fact-checking workshops, search engine literacy training, online and offline peer mentorship, and one-on-one guidance. Its targets include reaching 300 students through school visits and online workshops, collaborating with 10 migrant learning centers in Mae Sot, partnering with three local organizations to run at least 10 offline and two online events annually, and tracking peer mentorship hours.

Jue Jue expressed that “once a migrant worker, now being part of the Get Engaged global community gives me a sense of belonging and trains me to lead a youth-initiative project — from the ideation stage to the action plan, and from individual start-up to the team-building stage."

Empowering Tomorrow's Leaders: Enhancing Research Skills in Youth

In response to Myanmar's instability—armed conflicts, poverty, climate change, and gender-based violence—Myo Myint Maung Maung launched a project to equip youth with research skills for community advocacy. Despite internet blackouts and security challenges, the program produced eight research studies, benefited over 200 people, conducted 100 interviews, and hosted a 50-person community showcase.

"Civic engagement is, in itself, a form of resistance—not merely an extracurricular pursuit, but a moral imperative," Myo said.

English for Migrant Workers

Nyien Su Thaw addresses educational gaps for Myanmar migrant workers through free grammar and English classes, benefiting 100 participants. She also leads the Youths for Myanmar Project, a Free English Practice Club for Kids, and Online Cultural Exchange Programs linking young learners with peers abroad. In 2023, she ran a free 10-day English course in Shan State. Taught mainly by Parami University volunteers, the program supports participants across Asia who face workplace and study challenges such as poor communication, unstable jobs, and long hours.

"I learned how to be an ethical leader in the field of education...how to lead teams, solve problems, and manage unexpected challenges," Nyien shared.

Pyit Taing Htaung Youths Group – Khit Thit Youths’ Power Project (ခေတ်သစ်လူငယ့်စွမ်းအား) 

Initiated by Metrix and led by Project Officer Myo Min Khant (Jimmy), this program provides Mental Health & Psychosocial Support, Digital & Media Literacy, PEACE Education, and Comprehensive Sexual Education to youths aged 15–20. It focuses on those in the Civil Disobedience Movement, students from Federal (underground) schools, ethnic minorities, and youth in conflict-affected areas. The curriculum covers personal identity and growth, communication skills, mental well-being, global and social awareness, and youth leadership. The project plans to launch Cohorts 4 and 5 by mid-2026, reaching 60 more participants and establishing three new partnerships.

"Civic engagement entails identifying shared values within society and fostering unity—even in the face of challenges like dictatorship," Jimmy said, adding that creating a sense of belonging is key to positively impacting youth across countries.

Students expressed that the Get Engaged fellowship program highlights how youth-led initiatives across the Open Society University Network address community needs, while providing opportunities to learn from diverse perspectives and be inspired by others’ work. Hearing the experiences of senior cohorts and receiving their mentorship fosters curiosity and growth.

The 2025 Get Engaged Conference demonstrated how youth-led projects can create lasting change. From promoting children's literature to improving migrant education access, building research capacity, enhancing English skills, and delivering psychosocial and civic education, Parami students showed resilience, creativity, and commitment to social impact. Their initiatives address urgent needs while laying the foundation for a more equitable and hopeful future.

Highlight photos from the 2025 Get Engaged Conference at the European Humanities University campus in Vilnius, Lithuania.