CYLD Program

The Community Youth Leader Development (CYLD) program is an annual hybrid higher education preparation and youth leader development program. In addition to higher education preparation via the General Education Development (GED) Exam, The program focuses on a wide range of capacity building, networking, youth empowerment, and community engagement activities for young Myanmar leaders. The program intends to bring together migrant, refugee, and marginalized youths from Myanmar to deepen their leadership, life skill, social network, and language skills development, active youth participation in community development processes and peacebuilding within the Thai Myanmar border area and inside Myanmar.

Migrant students from different ethnic backgrounds in Myanmar study together at BEAM Education Foundation to acquire GED certificates and leadership skills. With a GED certificate, students may apply for scholarships and attend international programs at universities in Thailand and other countries. Beyond the focus on tests and admission to colleges/universities, students of BEAM Education Foundation increase their knowledge and skills, both academic and social, by active participation, sustained communication and critical thinking.

Program Vision

Our vision is to produce emotionally healthy, socially responsible, community-serving, and globally minded young Myanmar leaders ready to pursue higher education opportunities.

Program Mission

The mission of the CYLD program is four-fold:

  • Empower – Youth from marginalized backgrounds to be self-aware, optimistic, learning-oriented, responsible and resilient.

  • Transform – Youth to be active, communicative, and engage positively with the world around them.

  • Inspire – Youth to be courageous, persistent, and passionate about social change, starting with themselves, to their societies and the world at large.

  • Equip – Youth to be ready and qualified to pursue higher/further education opportunities anywhere in the world.

Program Impact

Program Structure

Phase 1: Foundational Course

The Foundational Course is a week-long course designed to prepare CYLD students with the academic and personal skills needed to excel in the CYLD program. The mission of the course is to develop personal leadership by teaching students how to learn, be responsible for their own learning, and contribute to our community of learners. This is achieved through various workshops, training sessions, and online orientation events conducted by CYLD staff and program partners.

Phase 2: Continuous Student Academic and Leadership Development Activities

Phase 2 activities are implemented when students begin to take the four GED subject lessons. Students study Math, Science, Social Studies, and Reasoning Through Language Arts for 12 hours per week through live Zoom or in-person classes over a period of 9 months, including holidays and breaks. As our program is more than just a GED preparation course, we offer leadership development trainings, courses, and workshops in the following areas:

  • Personal and Community Leadership Development

  • Higher Education Preparation

  • Civic Engagement

  • Environmental Literacy

  • Socio-Emotional Development




Admission Process

The recruitment period for the new academic year begins in February. Application forms can be found here (https://forms.gle/ZfeJP17G3uMrNvj86)  or BEAM Education Foundation’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/beameducation). The application will be recorded once the form is completely filled and submitted. The CYLD administration team will review the applications and will contact the applicants for the next steps in the admission process. 

Selected applicants must sit for the entrance exam, which includes English, Math, Social Studies & Science subjects. The entrance exam will be conducted online; applicants are required to have adequate internet and computer access to sit for the exam. Following the entrance exam, short-listed applicants will be contacted again for an interview.  The language of instruction and admission process is English. 

Admission Period: 2025-2026 Academic Year

  • Application (February – March)

  • Entrance Exams (March)

  • Interview (April-May)

  • Acceptance and Orientation (June-July)

Qualification or Criteria:

  • Education level: High school level

  • English Level: B1 (Intermediate Level) or B2 (Upper-intermediate Level) 

  • Age: 16 years old and above

  • Any Myanmar individuals from marginalized communities, particularly migrants and refugees who are preparing for higher education

 Study Plan

The CYLD program centers on the   four GED subjects: Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Classes are conducted in a hybrid format, both online via Zoom and in person in Chiang Mai. Additionally, teachers may assign homework through BEAM’s online Learning Management System. This means that all CYLD students are required to have strong, fast, and reliable internet access through an adequate laptop or computer. In addition to the four GED subjects, students learn leadership and community building skills, which are detailed in the Program Structure section above.

  • Study Hours required every week: 3 hours of class time FOR EACH SUBJECT: two classes of 1.5 hours each for each subject. (12-15 hours of weekly study)

 

HYBRID LEARNING FORMAT

The CYLD Program for the 2025-2026 academic year will be hybrid, offering both in-person and online options. This means that students can participate in the program either in-person in Chiang Mai or entirely online via Zoom, depending on their individual preferences or circumstances.

Academic Schedule