Day 2: Pitogo High School and Better World Smokey Mountain Community Center

Wow! Today was jam-packed. Starting with a tour of Pitogo High School in Barangay Pitogo, we hit the ground running by warm greetings from many of the school’s 2400 students. The campus was absolutely gorgeous, with an open air concept and beautiful foliage. Speaking to a number of teachers, we learned about the programs the school offered, and I was fortunate enough to learn about the school’s science lab and science program.

We then heard from Department of Education, learning specifically about the country’s science curriculum and its evolution. In addition to high-level courses in chemistry, biology, and physics, the country is aiming to expand its earth science program to prepare the next generation to tackle the natural disasters frequently impacting the Philippines.

Next, we took the long journey to Better World Smokey Mountain, a community collective part of a network of 230+ similar centers in impoverished areas of the Philippines. Providing students with supplemental learning, adult learning classes for women, and a number of extracurriculars for children and families, this has become an integral part of the community.

One mother, Joy, kindly invited us into her nearby home and taught us how to crochet, a collective effort supported by the center to enable local women to earn income from the craft.

This experience not only shed light on housing conditions in impoverished areas of Manila, but it highlighted the importance of community and social emotional learning practices that we can take back to the United States. When observing Teacher Ruth’s class of second grade SEL, my partner teacher and I were in awe of her incredible lesson planning, connection with the students, and thoughtful activities. The students welcomed us warmly into their space, and we were able to participate in a coloring activity centered around strategies for building our strengths and accepting making mistakes as a reality of life. Overall, this was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my field experience so far, and I am excited to take it home to my students in the US.