The Northern Marianas Amateur Sports Association (NMASA) has announced that the CNMI has been given two slots to the 2013 Pacific Youth and Sports Conference that will be held in Noumea, New Caledonia from Dec. 2 to 7.

NMASA will select two university students, one male and one female, to attend the conference. The students selected will receive round-trip air fare, internal transfers in New Caledonia, room, board, and all conference fees.

The conference is a tool for college and university students to develop and pursue social projects in their communities. This year’s conference themes are tackling non-communicable diseases; preventing STDs and teenage pregnancy; improving mental health; promoting school attendance; developing life skills; and promoting active citizenship.

Conference participants will increase their knowledge on health, education and social inclusion challenges in their countries. They will also learn how to use sport for development to tackle these issues, share their best practices and work on developing projects to implement after the conference, and build projects.

After the conference, participants, in partnership with their governments, NGOs, youth and sport organizations, will take ownership of the projects developed to tackle social issues that affect them. They will implement, monitor and evaluate these projects. Participants will also be required to volunteer for three days in connection with NMASA events and programs.

The conference is held under the patronage of the United Nations Office for Sport for Development and Peace, and is sponsored by the Oceania Football Confederation, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and the Government of New Caledonia. Event Partners include the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), the Government of Australia, the Olympic Sports Federations of Oceania (OSFO), the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the Pacific Youth Council.

Further information about this year’s conference can be found at pyasc.org.

To be eligible for selection to attend the Conference, an applicant must be a United States citizen and a full-time student at any college or university. To apply, send the following information to NMASA, by email to mwhite@saipan.com: a copy of the information page of your United States Passport; a certification from your college or university that you are a full-time student during the fall semester; and a letter, not to exceed 250 words, explaining why you believe you should be selected to represent NMASA at the conference, what you hope to accomplish at the conference, and how you propose to implement what you learn when you return to the CNMI.

Applications must be received by 5pm on Oct. 16. No extensions will be granted. For further information, contact NMASA by email at mwhite@saipan.com. (PR)