Our Model

“Working closely with others can be one of the most intimate experiences a young person could have, because of its difficulties as much as its joys. I believe it is important for young people to have both experiences of success as well as of failure, to taste sweetness as well as bitterness, and through the embrace of both, discover something real.”

Leng Lim, SEALNet Co-Founder

The most fundamental nature of SEALNet’s existence is to serve as a network connecting Servant Leaders across borders, backgrounds, and generations so that they may influence and learn from each other. SEALNet operates on a model of co-leadership and intergenerational mentorship that acts to maintain the essence of this network and promote the emergent values of human connection.

Co-Leadership

SEALNet’s executive teams and programs are run by two or more co-leaders, encouraging them to explore how much more they can achieve together than individually. Decisions are made collaboratively, based on thorough refinement and integration of different ideas, perspectives, and frames of reference. This process entails that the leaders and their members continuously learn from one another, strive towards the holistic growth of the team, and form genuine relationships through their shared experience.

Intergenerational Mentorship

Every year, experienced SEALNet members, known as Professional Mentors, return to the organization to provide guidance and support to new Summer Project Leaders and YLS organizers. During Summer Projects, SEALNet’s mentorship model extends further to the community: university students are recruited as Mentors and paired one-on-one with high school student Mentees.

Within the organization, Executive Teams are mentored by a member of the Board of Directors, who in turn may look to the Council of Elders for advice.

This structure ensures that the SEALNet spirit, experience, and knowledge are passed on from generation to generation, while allowing space for new ideas and opinions to develop, serving as the foundation for SEALNet’s continuous growth.

Learn more about how SEALNet’s model works in each program at Summer Projects and YLS.