A first of its kind: The SEE Project brings a national skills initiative into a school and its surrounding communities—through games, practical discussions and the simple act of making time to talk with young people about their future.
On Falalop island in Ulithi Atoll, a conversation about high school students’ future began with cards, board games and Lego blocks.
Students at the Falalop, Ulithi Outer Islands High School (OIHS) used these activities to explore different professions, the skills and values behind them, and how they saw their own future opportunities and careers.
The activities were part of the Skills andEmployability Enhancement (SEE) Project’s first outer-island outreach campaign.
From 22 to 26 October 2026, four SEE Project staff members, three representatives of the Yap Department of Education, an agriculture business consultant and a communications specialist from the FSM Central Implementation Unit (CIU) visited the school. Their purpose was to bring information about technical and vocational education and training (TVET) opportunities to students and families in an outer-island community.
Behind the visit is a nationwide effort to revitalise vocational education and skills training and expand employment search assistance. Since early 2023, the SEE Project has provided financial and technical support to Kosrae, Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap, with the goal of making vocational education, skills training and employment opportunities more accessible, relevant and of better quality for young people.
At the Falalop OIHS, that wider ambition took the form of hands-on career exploration. Rather than relying only on presentations, the team used games to introduce a range of professions and the skills and values associated with them. With Lego blocks, students represented how they perceived their future opportunities and careers, giving a tangible form to a conversation about what might come after school.
Agriculture was also part of that conversation. In separate sessions, the agriculture business consultant introduced students to opportunities in the sector, adding another field for them to consider as they explored possible career paths.
The outreach extended beyond the school. On the second day of activities, representatives from neighbouring islands joined sessions on job and career opportunities through TVET. The discussion brought the same information to people from other island communities, widening the reach of the visit.
On the third day, the focus turned to the Falalop community and the career choices and opportunities available to its young people. By involving students, neighbouring-island representatives and local community members, the mission made education and careers a conversation that reached beyond the classroom.
The SEE Project team returned with lessons from this first outer-island campaign to inform a second mission, planned for Woleai in November 2026.
