Learning Through Exploration: The PBL Approach

Project-based learning is the immediate application of what they learned in the classroom in which they develop critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. The students work in groups to collectively solve challenging problems that are relevant in their immediate environment, community, and country. Through this 21st-century learning approach, the students help propose and solve problems that are all authentic, curriculum-based and interdisciplinary as it touches on several subject areas.

This year, Mano Amiga students will have two PBL projects per quarter where in they will get a chance to brainstorm solutions for different problems in their community, using knowledge and concepts they learned in the classroom.

STRONGER VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS THROUGH PBL

Through the PBL activities, various experts have selflessly volunteered their time to share their experience in their respective fields.  Last week, Lance, a segment producer of TV 5, taught Gr. 4 students about producing videos to give helpful tips to  students who are currently making webisodes about Science experiments, as part of their PBL project. 

Lance, Segment Producer of TV5 teaching students about production in one of the PBL classes

Journey of Wonder

PHINMA HERO (Helpful Employee Responsible for Others) Network, the employee volunteer program of the PHINMA Group of Companies, treated the Mano Amiga students to a day of enrichment and exploration. Thanks to the PHINMA employees, the third graders had the chance to visit Mind Museum where the students spent the morning visiting exhibits, playing interactive games and other activities that enhance not only their Science literacy but also their imagination.

“The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery.” - Anais Nin

Off to a Great Start!

The first quarter of School year 2012- 2013 gave us a good idea of the different programs and activities in store for the Mano Amiga students and families. Here's a glimpse of what's been happening in Mano Amiga Academy the past three months:

We are very grateful to welcome new partners in Community Development and After school programs. GE and One Core jointly organized a family day for the Mano Amiga families. The students played team games, underwent a medical check up, and attended an age-appropriate workshop on how to deal with stress. Their parents participated in seminars on tobacco cessation, cooking healthy food while on a budget and other programs tailored to their everyday needs. Deutsche Knowledge Services also chose Mano Amiga for their volunteering activity. Employees devoted their Saturday morning to teach the students how to make their own school bags for school.   

Sports Programs continue to be an integral part of the Mano Amiga's core services. In addition to the program by Futbol Funatics to children ages 8-9, Dream Big Pilipinas has also partnered with the school to offer football clinics to children ages 6-7. To qualify for the program, the children must regularly attend school and values formation seminars. "We value our Sports program because apart from helping give the children a healthy well-being and instilling virtues like discipline and teamwork, they also serve as motivational tools for the students to stay in school and work hard on their studies," Development Director Lynn Pinugu said.

Mano Amiga believes that its mission is not only to form students intellectually, but to also form them to be good citizens and society leaders who will use their talents and resources to give back to the community. As part of its Apostolic Formation program, Mano Amiga staff and students will be doing different outreach programs. Its first activity will be in the Philippine Heart center where staff and students will entertain patients in the pediatric ward with interactive storytelling, talent shows and other games. 

As the Mano Amiga community continues to grow, we are humbled by the trust that the the families and partners have in us.

Despite mild damages caused by the recent storm to the school and some of the families' homes, everyone continues to be in high spirits, deeply grateful for all the blessings Mano Amiga has received, most specially the outpouring support from our network of donors, friends and volunteers.

From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU for the successful start of School Year 2012-2013

"Real joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of men, but from doing something worthwhile."- Wilfred Grenfell

Back to School Festivities

For kids, the month of June means one thing: time to bring out the brand-new backpacks and shiny black shoes. Summer has come to an end and a new school year begins yet again. 

The transition from playing all day to sitting down in a classroom is never easy. To help the Mano Amiga students ease back into the school year, the Habitat Youth Council and Mcdonalds celebrated the children's return with a Back to School party.

"The volunteers had so much fun because the kids were so excited and energetic." Habitat Youth Council founder Alex Eduque shared. "They were actively participating in all the activities and they were able to communicate well--proof of the good education that they're receiving in Mano Amiga."

The Habitat Youth Council spent the morning eating and playing with the students. In between bites, the students entertained the volunteers by showing off their talents as they sang and danced to the songs being played in the the store.

Even the Mcdonalds crew were amazed by the students' "go-getter attitude." During one of the games, the students were divided into teams and were asked to make "the longest line" they could come up with using what they had in their pockets. "The Mcdonalds host shared with me that it was the first time in history that the line of objects extended all the way out into the streets," Alex recalled with a laugh. "We had to stop the game and declare a tie because we were worried the cars would run over their stuff."

The celebration concluded with the turn over of much needed school supplies and some food packages for the parents of the students.

"Apart from the fun and games, volunteering activities expose our students to youth role models they could look up to," Development Director Lynn Pinugu shared. "I strongly believe activities like this are one of the reasons why Mano Amiga students enjoy going to school so much. They receive so many opportunities that broaden their horizons and give them something to aspire for." 

Habitat Youth Council founder Alex Eduque was immediately charmed by Grade 1 student Carlos when he turned over his placemat and drew for her.

Teachers' Day OFF 2012: Music, Culture, and Environmental Conservation

Held annually, Mano Amiga’s Teachers' Day Off gives partners and donors a chance to step into the Mano Amiga teachers’ shoes and to immerse in the school’s learning environment.

The celebration this year is a 3-day event which includes teaching of different subjects such as music, environment, and culture. Save the Philippine Seas founder Anna Oposa taught the children about the sea and sharks while P-3 founder Mark Bantigue showed the kids the basics of playing the guitar. 

Professor Henry Calilung along with Starbucks Philippines CSR head Zarah Perez gave a talk about the state of the Philippine environment and the importance of conservation.  Afterwards, they guided the pre-schoolers in the planting of three saplings of Apitong, a critically endangered Philippine native tree.

Youth volunteer Miogi Abejuela flew in all the way from Washington D.C. just to share the heartwarming story of Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree while Hapinoy’s Michelle Pabalan instilled in the students’ young minds the importance of entrepreneurship. The three-day activity concluded with a fun Carnivale-themed activity as volunteers from the Phinma H.E.R.Oes Network introduced the children to Brazil and its culture. 

Mano Amiga Academy is a school that provides high quality education, health, and development services to children from marginalized families. The school, located in Taguig City, is part of an international network of 30 Mano Amiga schools distributed around eight countries. “We believe that the best way for our students to learn is through exposure and immersion,” Development Director Lynn Pinugu shared. “The Teacher’s Day Off activity gives our donors and kids a chance to bond and learn from each other’s experiences.”

A child will always amaze you with their ways of thinking and the questions they ask; and the Teachers’ Day Off activity yielded the most interesting questions. As Mr. Bantigue recalls, the question that struck him was “How did you learn to play guitar well?” He said, “It created the natural avenue to hammer down the value of practice, hard work and perseverance despite discomfort and trials.” The funniest request made by a kid was when a 2nd-grader asked him to play a Justin Bieber song.“I had to remind myself that I was with children. I was ready with the snark but I kept it positive. It was a taste of what's relevant in their world,” He added.

 

Mr. Abejuela found the students’ fast comprehension truly admirable. “They understood everything about the story – especially one that has a deeper theme within. I’ve never been more impressed by a group of children,” he said. “It wasn’t very hard to gain their attention. Having them laugh every once in awhile kept the attention long enough to end the story. They’re all very disciplined, and I was thankful for that.

The things the volunteers shared may not be recorded by history but they will surely be cherished in the children’s hearts. Mano Amiga will continue to celebrate Teacher’s Day Off every year. They will continue to provide this enriching and meaningful experience for the kids and the volunteers as well.

Click here to see Anna Oposa and Mark Bantigue perform "Part of your world" for the students.

“I appreciate the opportunity that Mano Amiga provided me. To see everything in action made me admire the work even more – and I have become more devoted to the cause because of it. Even if I am contributing a small amount – I am proud of it, and will continue to do as much as I can for Mano Amiga,” Mr. Abejuela added.

 

 

Firework

Dance Basics offers free Ballet lessons in Mano Amiga Academy two Saturdays a month. The teachers saw great potential in Three Mano Amiga students namely: Jazailah, Joshua, and Camille. They received a scholarship to undergo a more intensive training and to join the ballet company's year-round recitals.

All the Way Live teaches MA kids to break dance

Members of All the Way Live (ATWL) flew to Manila to teach Mano Amiga Academy students about the basics of break dancing.

ATWL is a group of young people passionate about break dancing who use dance as a means to reach out to underprivileged children, “working to fill the gaps left by public institutions with a safe environment to develop and create self-expression through dance.” Their after-school programs offer youth creative and positive alternatives to gang and crime-related activities that are prevalent in marginalized communities. 
After three days of breakdancing workshops, the mentors chose the students with the most potential to join the ATWL concert that was held in MOA. 
See link below for a glimpse of the students' performance: 
All The Way Live- Mano Amiga performance in MOA
"We've been teaching dance in the Philippines for the past 6 years and I've always wanted to invite our students to perform with us.  Unfortunately, we've never been able to find a school with dedicated students... until now. The performance of the Mano Amiga students was the highlight of the show, and for me, the highlight of the trip," ATWL B-boy/DJ/mentor RJ Navalta said. 
 

A New Perspective

Volunteer Cristina Lobregat shares the experience of watching the Azkals-Galaxy game with twelve exuberant Mano Amiga kids in tow, and the insights she gained along the way.

"Kung nandiyan lang sana si Coach Richard, siguro panalo na yung Azkals." Said in the most matter-of-fact tone, this was one of the endearing moments that really put the Philippine Azkals-LA Galaxy match into perspective; Particularly, the perspective of a grade 2 Mano Amiga student. Though it may come as a surprise to some, the students in Mano Amiga are actually football fans, thanks to the generosity of Coach Candice and Avery del Rosario of Futbol Funatics, who together with Coach Richard, volunteer to teach football every Friday to the Mano Amiga kids. The weekly games in Mano Amiga, coupled with the growing popularity of the Philippine Azkals peaked the students’ interest in football. With their newfound love for the sport, it was almost too good to be true that twelve students were given the chance to see the much-anticipated match last December 3.

While many people who watched the friendly match were looking forward to seeing David Beckham, the Mano Amiga students who trooped over to the Rizal Memorial Stadium from FTI, Taguig barely had an idea on who he was. In fact, they were more excited about finally seeing the Azkals live, so much so that the students actually prayed before the game, asking God to help the Azkals win. What a sight they were, twelve small children sitting quietly in prayer amidst a noisy, cheering crowd. Their excitement showed as their voices stood out from the rest during the National Anthem, prompting others seated around them to look over, where many, if not all, couldn’t help but smile.he Mano Amiga students were oblivious to the hype over LA Galaxy, continuously rooting for their home team, cheering with the rest of the crowd when the Azkals had finally scored a goal. The energy and excitement in the air had gotten to them as they were running up and down the bleachers, calling out the names of the most popular Azkals they knew.

But as with all children their age, by the time the game was winding down, so were they; Understandably so, it being way past their bedtime, the game ending at almost 10pm. But despite their sleepy eyes, tired but grateful smiles filled their faces as they walked out of the stadium. While waiting for the van, there was a renewed energy as the students recounted the highlights of the match. This experience was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime event for all those who watched the game, but for these students, the reason for that differs from the rest. In the end, it didn’t matter that David Beckham and the rest of LA Galaxy were there, nor did it matter that the score was 6-1, what mattered was that these students were able to watch a team they knew, play the sport they love.

Raising Little Heroes!

School year 2011-2012 marks another exciting development for Mano Amiga Academy as the One Core Success Center launches Born to be a Hero Values Program, a highly interactive program where character building and formation is done through exciting and fun-filled activities.

The program features afternoon workshops filled with laughter and creativity. The program aims to instill in young minds the core values they need in order to maximize their potential and achieve their goals.

In the first session, the students talked about their dreams and ambitions in life by creating a small mural. The activity also allowed them to realize their responsibilities and commitments that would help in keeping their dreams alive for themselves and for their families or communities.

Coaches Auee Umel and Elie Diccion facilitated the second session, which focused on the theme, "WHO IS MY HERO?" It allowed the pupils to share the heroes they look up to and how they can become heroes in their own ways.

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HELP BRING OUT LITTLE HEROES!

OneCore Success Center accepts supplies donations, monetary contributions and volunteers for our sessions!

Contact Koi Mejia at 09285501702 and o.mejia@theonecore.com or Patricia Sumbingco at 09209326049 and p.sumbingco@theonecore.com.

Small actions, Big change

Angeline Nadera and her classmates squealed excitedly as they searched the classroom for hidden seashell cut-outs. Volunteers tried to keep up while the students crawled into every nook and cranny to gather as many paper shells they could and win the Underwater-themed Scavenger Hunt.

The exercise was a part of a Saturday activity in which volunteers of all ages spent the whole afternoon teaching the students the beauty of Marine life and the importance of Ocean conservation. The activity featured songs, stories, games, and arts and crafts to teach the students about the small things they can do that actually have a big impact in protecting marine life.

"It takes so little to make a difference. Efforts like this open the children's imagination and instill values that last for a lifetime," Mano Amiga volunteer Jamie Silva said.

For more information on Mano Amiga Academy and its activities, you may contact Lynn Pinugu at 09063361663 or send an email to lpinugu@altius.org