Five Marian Education students and a faculty member completed the BINUS CONNECT (Collaborative Opportunities for Next-generation Networking, Engagement, Creativity and Transformation) Challenge 2026, a two-week International Virtual Student Mobility (iVSM) Program spearheaded by Binus University of Indonesia, August 18-31.

Under the theme ”Youth Shaping ASEAN’s Future Together,” Kazrel Fae Xaivory G. Alhomon (BEEd 3), Joshua A. Dela Cruz (BSEd-Science 3), Jeoff B. Pugong (BECED 3), Lara Melyne L. Ragasa (BSEd-Mathematics 3) and Sean Rae V. Seenivasagam (BSEd-English 3), collaborated virtually with a number of students from ASEAN particularly Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines in exploring their assigned regional issues and co-creating innovative, practical and impactful solutions for a sustainable, inclusive and resilient ASEAN community. Meanwhile, Miss Federicia C. Calauagan, a faculty member of the School of Teacher Education and Humanities (STEH) was assigned as a facilitator for EduWork 3 and 4, who worked on the challenge track in Future of Education, Skills and Work.

Within this international learning environment, the CONNECT kick-off was virtually conducted last August 18 with a keynote session, challenge briefing and team formation. The participants worked asynchronously in multicultural teams along the following challenge tracks:  digital innovation and future technologies, sustainable development and climate resilience, entrepreneurship and inclusive economic growth, future of education, skills and work and healthy, smart and inclusive communities.   Each team presented their team progress presentations for feedback and discussion with their assigned facilitators last August 21.  From August 21-26, the participants worked on their solution development and video production and submitted their final startup pitch video last August 26. Out of the 20 multicultural teams, five teams were selected for the final team presentations and defended their solutions to the panelists’ questions last August 31.

Educ3 team, one of the finalists and where Alhomon was a member, was adjudged as the Best Innovation Award. They developed the RealBuddy AI, an AI-powered literacy tool designed to support elementary teachers in assessing and developing students’ reading skills.  It uses voice AI to asses oral reading fluency, including Words correct per minute (WCPM) and Reading accuracy.  It also provides questions that assess different levels of thinking based on Bloom’s taxonomy. The main purpose of RealBuddy AI is to make literacy assessment easier, faster and more meaningful for both teachers and students. 

For the Marian participants, they considered the Binus Connect Challenge 2026 not only as an opportunity to exchange ideas with fellow ASEAN students, learn from diverse perspectives, and demonstrate how youth can contribute to shaping ASEAN’s future, but also for forging friendships among the participants. As Ragasa mentioned, “One of the most enjoyable parts was getting to know and talk with everyone every night before going to sleep. Even though we came from different countries and different time zones, it was fun having conversations, sharing experiences, and getting to know each other beyond the challenge itself.  Dela Cruz added, “More than just being a competition, I think this program brings together young people with different ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives, but with one common purpose which is to create something meaningful and impactful for ASEAN countries.”