This book is about the program Make a Connection: Nurturing Future Leaders which was launched in 2002 with an ambitious mandate to build the life, leadership, and livelihood skills of indigenous youth in the Philippines. The program is part of a global youth development initiative by Nokia and the International Youth Foundation, which, since the year 2000, has provided for more than 280,000 young people in 24 countries. The program, aims to further dialogue and action around issues facing indigenous youth in the Philippines.

This report discusses the needs of the country’s indigenous youth; the methodology developed to meet those needs; and the program’s success in building the confidence, leadership capacity, and livelihood skills of young people growing up in diverse and challenging contexts. Highlighted in this report are data from an outcome measurement study of the program completed by Brandeis University in 2006. The results show that the participants were found to have a much stronger connection to their community and culture; many have gone back to school; nearly all feel they have become better leaders; and the vast majority have learned to support themselves and often other family members.

*Description is a condensed and reworded version of the preliminaries of the book.