Catalyst Youth Leadership Program

Strengthening Youth Leadership, Communication, and Personal Growth

Catalyst Youth Leadership Program

The Catalyst Youth Leadership Program, implemented in partnership with American Corner Batticaloa, is a structured youth development initiative designed to strengthen leadership, communication, and personal growth among young people aged 18–35 in Batticaloa. The program consisted of a series of core sessions that focused on self-confidence, leadership skills, communication, career exploration, emotional resilience, and civic engagement.

Mission

To be a Practice-Based Civic Facilitator Certification Pathway — combining structured learning, community deployment, and measurable civic impact.

Vision

To combine Leadership & Facilitation, Community Engagement, and Accountability & Evaluation in order to boost Youth Civic Involvement.

Program Phases

Phase 01

Phase 1 - Youth Leadership Development

3 Month Program • 20 Youth Participants •

Duration: 3 Months

The Catalyst Youth Leadership Program (Phase 1) was successfully implemented over a three-month period from November 2025 to February 2026. The program was completed as planned, following all approved activities and objectives.

The program began with an orientation session and continued with a structured series of six core sessions. These sessions were designed to strengthen participants’ self-confidence, personal voice, and key leadership qualities through practical learning and real-life examples.

Program Session Topics

The six sessions included the following themes:

Discovering the Leadership Within

Building Confidence and Personal Vision

The Art of Communication, Speaking, and Purposeful Influence

Empowered Leadership and Career Pathways

Be the Change: Civic Engagement and Leadership for Impact

Using Stories to Understand the Future

Impact

5 Community Based Activities • 219 Indirect Beneficiaries

Phase 02

Phase 2 - Training of Trainers

Building a Community-Based Civic Facilitation Pipeline for Participatory Leadership

Duration: 3 Months

The Catalyst Youth Leadership Program – Phase 02 transitions youth from passive leadership participation into active community facilitation and civic engagement roles, establishing a localized pipeline of trained facilitators in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka.

The Training Journey

8 in-person sessions that guide participants in developing skills in leadership, facilitation, community engagement, accountability, and evaluation.

From Training to Community Action

Participants will leave the program having completed:

A final reflection portfolio and learning journey presentation
Outreach evidence and facilitation growth assessment
A certification review and Level 01 Facilitator recognition

Impact

Target: 20 Emerging Facilitators | Community Reach: 200+ Beneficiaries

Program Sessions

Adaptive Learning

Understand participatory leadership principle, explore leadership in community settings, and build facilitator identity and confidence

Facilitation Techniques

Learn facilitation methodologies, practice group engagement techniques, understand participatory learning approaches

Civic Dialogue Methods (US vs Exchange)

Understand civic dialogue and democratic participation, learn dialogue moderation techniques, engage with U.S.-based civic perspectives

Session Design & Delivery

Design structured facilitation sessions, learn session planning methods, practice facilitation sequencing

Community Organizing

Understand grassroots engagement, learn outreach and mobilization strategies, explore civic participation systems

Monitoring & Evaluation Tools

Learn documentation methods, understand monitoring systems, explore impact measurement approaches

Ethical Leadership & Accountability

Explore ethical facilitation principles, understand accountability systems, practice responsible leadership approaches

Responsible Use of AI & Digital Tools

Understand ethical digital engagement, learn responsible AI usage, explore digital facilitation tools

From Training to Community Action

Completed ToT Community Action Projects

Communication As a Life Skill

Samsudeen Mohamed Azath

Toastmasters International | Public Speaking •COMMUNITY ORGANIZING & VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION• Through a public-speaking series, participants learned how to be better communicators. They practiced their public speaking to become more confident in front of an audience. ~Public Speaking, Communication, Education~

Think Before You Share – Freedom, Facts & Responsibility: A U.S.–Sri Lanka Digital Citizenship Lab

Prasath Thevapalan

Media Trainer working with IT systems International | Social media •COMMUNITY ORGANIZING & VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION• An interactive lab that teaches young people how to navigate the social media landscape through hands on learning. The goal is to educate them through activities that are relevant to what they’re learning about. ~Digital awareness, Digital Citizenship, Social Media~

SERVE. LEAD. ACT – Youth as Community Volunteer

Sahana Ganeshan

Sustainable Development Professional | Youth Volunteering •COMMUNITY ORGANIZING & VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION• The informative session was designed to empower youth to get involved with civil service through volunteering opportunities. When young people take the first step, they’re making progress towards change. ~Public Service, Youth Volunteering, Community Action~

Youth in Action

Pirthaws Fathima Saheeka

Communication Skills Facilitator | Youth Leadership •COMMUNITY ORGANIZING & VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION• Targeting O/L and A/L students, the youth leadership session helped participants learn about leadership and volunteerism. Through this initiatives, young people learned how to take action to better their communities. ~Volunteerism, Leadership, Youth Initiatives~

Speak Up, Think Twice: Understanding Hate Speech in Our Digital and Social Spaces

Nardana Thiruvarudchelvan

Student and Aspiring Leader | Standing Up to Hate Speech •COMMUNITY ORGANIZING & VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION• More than 70 people showed up to an event meant for 20-30 young people. The session spread awareness about digital hate speech, and what they can do about it as the next generation of leaders. ~Digital Literacy, Hate Speech, Equality~

Step Forward: Empowering Youth for Career and Economic Readiness

Sakthivell Mohanashagar

Digital Marketing Specialist | Career readiness in youth •COMMUNITY ORGANIZING & VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION• Held in the Batticoloa, the entrepreneurship and innovation lab helped participants be ready for their future careers. During the interactive session, Mohanashagar focused on practical tips for career and opportunity advancement. ~Career Readiness, Entrepreneurship, Innovation~

Built the Best Version of Yourself

Inthuja Sivakumar

Volunteer and Facilitator | Self Confidence and Interpersonal Skills •COMMUNITY ORGANIZING & VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION• The goal of the session was to empower high school aged students to be more self-confident in their interpersonal relationships. The skills they learned will help them navigate college and beyond. ~Self Esteem, Personal Perception, Interpersonal Relationships~

FROM PASSION TO PURPOSE: YOUTH CHANGEMAKERS

Angel Amrutha Ravichandra Fernando

EMD Labs | Youth Volunteering and Mobilization •COMMUNITY ORGANIZING & VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION• Fernando believes that if given the chance, young adults can be change-makers in their communities. The session was held to create an opportunity for young adults to turn their passion into youth-initiated leadership. ~Creating Change, Leadership, Taking Initiative~

Voice to Action: Youth Change Makers

Bavanishna Surendiran

Operations Manager | Youth Community Involvement •COMMUNITY ORGANIZING & VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION• This interactive youth leadership session sought to empower Batticaloa youth using the U.S/American Spaces approach. Together, the participants learn to solve real-world problems within their community instead of listening to abstract principles. ~Civic Dialogue, Problem-Solving, Collaboration~

Artificial intelligence for Everyday Learning

Shagisnaa Thevathasan

Engineering Student | AI Awareness and Responsibility •COMMUNITY ORGANIZING & VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION• Because of AI’s rapidly growing presence, it is imperative that young people know how to use AI responsibly. In the session titled: “AI Usage For Everyday Learning,” Thevathasan draws upon his previous experience to educate people about AI. ~AI Usage, AI Literacy, Technology~

LEAD THE CHANGE: Youth Leadership, Voice & Innovation Lab

Abdul Manaf Safira

Educational Researcher | Youth Leadership Facilitator •COMMUNITY ORGANIZING & VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION• The session connects youth voice with leadership and innovation. Students first explored what leadership means to them, identified issues that matter to them, considered different perspectives, and then worked together to create and present a possible response. ~Collaboration, Youth Leadership, Problem Solving~

Target Audience

Youth in Batticaloa

Young people aged 18–35.

Our Objectives

To develop leadership, communication, and public speaking skills among youth.

To support career exploration, personal growth, and emotional resilience.

To encourage civic engagement and active community participation.

Meet the Catalyst Trainers

Get to know the people working on the program!

Shagisnaa Thevathasan

ToT Participant

Shagisnaa Thevathasan got selected for engineering faculty university of Jaffna, and his academic studies will start this month

Pirthaws Fathima Saheeka

ToT Participant

Pirthaws Fathima Saheeka is a TEFL/TESL-Certified English Teacher, an Educational Content Creator, a BA Social Sciences Graduate, and acts as a Youth Leadership and Community Engagement Facilitator.

Nardana Thiruvarudchelvan

ToT Participant

Nardana Thiruvarudchelvan is an aspiring undergraduate with interests in English Literature, leadership, youth empowerment, and community development.

Miss Abdul Manaf Safira

ToT Participant

Miss Abdul Manaf Safira is a Science Educator, Youth Leadership Facilitator, Teacher Trainer, and Educational Researcher passionate about empowering young people through innovative learning, leadership development, and community engagement.

Bavanishna Surendiran

ToT Participant

Bavanishna Surendiran is a business entrepreneur and International Relations student

Sakthivell Mohanashagar

ToT Participant

Sakthivell Mohanashagar is an assistant facilitator at IDO with a higher Diploma in AI & Data Science - CIMS, and expertise in music, AI and Digital Marketing.