About Us

The Micro-Grant Mentorship Project (MMP) was originally conceived on a sunny day in late 2022, during the co-founders’ Fulbright tenure at the National University of Laos. The organization and its design has been greatly informed by experiences in teaching, community development, grant implementation, and other such areas of public life that the two project co-founders, Jillian Skonieczka and Doan Khue Tran, had as Fulbright scholars to Laos. As Fulbright English Teaching Assistants for the Department of English at the National University of Laos (NUOL) from 2022-2023, co-founders Jillian and Doan Khue designed curricula and taught university-level students and young professionals at both NUOL and the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane’s American Center Vientiane. Having directly witnessed the remarkable potential, enterprise, and professional capabilities of Lao youths during their Fulbright tenure, the co-founders were motivated to create new pathways their personal and professional development.

Drawing from the team members’ diverse experiences in education and project management, and armed with insights gained from extensive engagement with Lao youth, the organization set out to bridge the gap in human resource development by empowering Lao youths with the skills, knowledge, and confidence necessary to navigate today’s globalized world. In providing young people in Laos with targeted training, practical skills in English grant writing, and hands-on experience in project design and implementation, we aim to equip Lao youth with the tools needed to drive sustainable socio-economic development in their communities. Our commitment also extends beyond instruction; we prioritize mentorship and personalized support to nurture the talents and aspirations of the youths we reach.

By empowering Lao youth to pursue personal and professional advancement, we envision a future where they play active roles in addressing societal needs and driving positive change. Through our initiative, MMP also hopes to reinforce pragmatic foreign policy in cooperation with Laos. Together, we strive to create a brighter future, where every young person in Laos have the opportunity to thrive and contribute meaningfully to their communities, creating a foundation for continued collaboration and growth.