A view of the workshop to help teachers in Mekong Delta region with the skills to mentor youth leaders and promote road safety and youth well-being. — Photo from AIP Foundation

MEKONG DELTA — Fifty-six teachers from 28 high schools across the Mekong Delta have completed a training course aimed at equipping them with the skills to mentor youth leaders and promote road safety and youth well-being.

The three-day Training of Trainers (TOT) workshops were held in the southern province of Vĩnh Long during March 28–30 and in An Giang Province during April 2–4, as part of the 'AI&Me: Empowering Youth for Livable Cities' programme.

The initiative is supported by Fondation Botnar and the FIA Foundation, and implemented by AIP Foundation, Youth for Road Safety (YOURS) and the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), in coordination with local Departments of Education and Training and Departments of Construction.

The programme seeks to empower young people to act as agents of change for safer and healthier urban environments.

The training followed a cascade model, combining two days of online pre-training via the YOURS Academy platform with three days of in-person instruction. Participants were equipped with knowledge on road safety, youth leadership development and interactive facilitation methods.

During the workshops, teachers explored global and national road safety issues, learned approaches to youth engagement and peer education, and practised delivering interactive sessions for students.

They were also introduced to digital tools to support youth-led initiatives, including the Youth Engagement App (YEA), which enables students to identify and report hazardous road locations, and the Star Rating for Schools (SR4S) methodology developed by iRAP to improve road infrastructure around schools.

Participating teachers at a group discussion and exchange session. — Photo from AIP Foundation

Following the training, participating teachers will return to their schools to organise two-day sessions for student youth leaders. A total of 28 such trainings are scheduled for April and May, equipping students with the skills to lead peer education activities and community-based road safety projects.

Võ Văn Quới, Deputy Head of the High School Department under the An Giang Department of Education and Training, said youth participation plays a key role in building safer communities.

“When students learn from their peers and take ownership of solutions, the impact is more sustainable,” he noted.

Teachers attending the programme also expressed confidence in applying the methods in their schools.

Huỳnh Ngọc Phương Thảo of Nguyễn Hùng Sơn High School in An Giang Provincesaid the training offers practical tools to engage students in discussions on road safety and leadership, adding that teachers are committed to supporting student-led initiatives.

Through the cascading training approach, the programme targets the development of a network of youth leaders advocating for safer mobility and healthier urban environments across the Mekong Delta.

By combining youth engagement, digital innovation and multi-stakeholder cooperation, the initiative is expected to contribute to sustainable, youth-driven solutions for safer roads in Việt Nam. — VNS