SEAMEO-Japan ESD Award

PART I: Details of Your School

1. Name of your school: South Hill School, Inc.

2. Full address: IPB Road, Brgy. Putho-Tuntungin, Los Baños, ,

3. Postcode: 4031

4. Country: Philippines

5. School’s telephone number (country code+city code+telephone number): +63 49 5365465

6. School’s fax number (country code+city code+fax number): +63 49 536 5465

7. School’s email Address: [email protected]

8. Name of the Head Master/ Principal/ School Director: Carmencita T. Nolasco

9. Name of Teacher Coordinator: Amando Perfecto DLC. Molin

10. Email address of the Coordinator: [email protected]

11. School website (if available): dofe.azurewebsite.com

12. Educational level (Such as Kindergarten 1 to Grade/Year 9): Preschool to 4th Year High School

13. Number of teachers in your school: 32

14. Number of teachers participated in this programme: 9

15. Number of students in your school: 604

PART II: Information about the School’s Programme

The information of part II from no.1 to 13 should be no longer than nine (9) pages long of A4 in total. The information should be written in Times New Roman font, 11-12 point size.

1. Title of the school’s programme

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Youth Exchange Program

2. Summary of the programme (a half to one page A4)

The Youth Exchange Program (YEP) is an offshoot of the Adventurous Journey prescribed by The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award. Students from SHSI and their counterparts from Sanulim Youth Center in South Korea, travel to each other’s countries, work together as teams overcoming challenges, and explore unfamiliar environments. Participants learn self-reliance, independence, and life skills while immersed in a new culture and environment. Since the program's inception in 2012, the Philippine leg is conducted annually in August while the South Korean leg is in October.

A student begins by enrolling in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (DEIA) and embarks on a commitment to improve himself for a period of 3 to 6 months. Teachers, trained as Award Leaders, support and guide students in setting personal goals in the 4 aspects of the Award: Skills, Physical Recreation, and

1 Community Service. By July, Award Leaders prepare for the YEP. A student who intend to participate in the YEP undergoes a stringent selection process. Once he has qualified as among the 13 participants, he undergoes preparatory activities for the YEP Philippine leg and the YEP Korean leg. The YEP takes the participant on an expedition in an unfamiliar environment, working together harmoniously to attain a common goal, with peers from a different cultural background. The program develop life skills such as self-reliance, independence, critical thinking and decision making and a values system that respects diversity, non-discrimination and cultural differences. Over a period of three years, the DEIA-YEP has made a tremendous impact on individual students’ achievements, improved relationships between students and Award Leaders, raised the Award Leaders’ quality of work to global standards, and positively influenced the community through its service activities.

3. Background information or reasons why the school created this programme SHSI adopted The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (also known as the Award) in 2012 because it complements the school’s vision and mission of bringing out the best in each student and developing them into well-rounded individuals who actively contribute to improving their communities and society, in general. It is rooted in the belief that an individual contributes greatly to society and the world by becoming the best version of himself. SHSI’s strength in developing individual students is complemented and broadened by the Award’s emphasis on community service. Moreover, the Award enables our students to participate in an internationally recognized program for extra-curricular activities that they undertake in our school. SHSI pushed the Award’s impact farther with the Youth Exchange Program (YEP). Acting on the knowledge that young people are naturally drawn to travel and adventure, the YEP exposes students to personal, cultural, and social realities other than their own. SHSI strongly believes that as students coming from a Third World country, travel to a foreign country, especially a progressive one, will empower our students to dream, not just for themselves, but for their country as well.

4. Objectives/goals of the programme 1. To go on an expedition in an unfamiliar environment, a foreign country, in a spirit of adventure and discovery 2. To work together cooperatively in teams despite language barriers and cultural differences 3. To learn life skills such as making decisions, self-reliance, perseverance, and respect 4. To establish friendships and learn about another culture and way of life.

5. Core competencies of students (e.g. knowledge and understanding, cognitive skills, non-cognitive skills and behavioural capacities) that the school aims for within the programme. 1. Critical Thinking and Decision-Making – to acquire information through observation and use data to make sound judgments when faced with challenging situations, and managing limited time and resources; 2. Respect for Diversity – to work harmoniously in a team with peers from different backgrounds, language, and culture to attain common goals 3. Self-reliance and Independence – to acquire awareness of personal safety and confidence in using own abilities and resources

6. Period of the time when the programme was or has been implemented

SHSI started running The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award program in February 2012. Then the Youth Exchange Program started in August 2012. The Philippine leg of the first YEP was in August 2012 and the Korean leg was in October of the same year. It was the same in 2013. This 2014, the Philippine leg was moved in July although the Korean leg will still be on October 25 – 28, 2014.

7. Activities (Actions and strategies of implementation) A. Participation in the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Program 1. Starting February of each year, students ages 14 and above enrol as participants to the Award program. They accomplish an enrolment form that is duly signed by their parents and undergo medical examination by the school physician. 2. Students design their individual development plans that cover 4 aspects: Skills, Physical Recreation, Community Service, and Adventurous Journey. They set challenging goals for each aspect and commit one hour a week for each activity for at least 3 to 6 months. 3. Teachers, trained and referred to as Award Leaders, support the students in setting challenging 2 personal goals for acquiring a Skill, engaging in Physical Recreation, and volunteering for Community Service. Award Leaders also coordinate with activity coaches and organizations if students’ chosen activities are not available in the school. 4. Each Award Leader is assigned 4 – 6 students to monitor, guide, and encourage, for a period of 3 to 6 months while they are working towards attaining their personal goals. An Adventurous Journey goal is also identified. 5. An Award Leader is assigned to organize Community Service activities that students may engage in. Community service activities have included the following: • Bulilit Eskwela in December 2012 – March 2013. This was a literacy readiness program for underpriviledged, preschool-aged children from communities near our school. Students engage the children in pre-literacy activities for 2 hours every Saturday. • Relief operations for typhoon and flood victims. Since our country is frequently visited by strong typhoons, relief operations are done at least twice a year. Through the leadership of the Student Government organization, students collect, sort, and deliver relief goods where they are needed. In the aftermath of super typhoon Haiyan in November 2013, our students sent relief goods and supported a mobile kitchen that fed victims. They raised about Php 150,000 (US$4000) through various activities, most notable of which is an innovative people’s flea market program conducted with the University of the Philippines Los Baños Foundation. • Blood-letting activity. In May 2013, the students warmly supported a blood-letting activity for a school mate who was afflicted with leukemia. This effort earned a Certificate of Recognition from the Philippine Red Cross in August 2014. • In May 2014, students volunteered in a school research project entitled, “Accelerating Plant Growth and Yield Through Enzymatic Composting.” While some students are involved in the research process, some students extend community service by collecting and processing organic waste materials such as leaves from the school grounds, food from the school canteen, and animal manure from a nearby farm. In September 2014, students are starting a vegetable garden in the school ground to test the efficacy of the compost. Ultimately, the outcome of this research will be made available for free to other schools and municipalities as a model for composting. • Throughout the school year, students volunteer within the school community mainly through the Student Government organization. They spearhead activities that strengthen camaraderie among students across grade and year levels, like the annual Acquaintance Party and the biennial Youth Camp. They actively support the school’s anti-bullying campaign by monitoring corridors and playgrounds during lunch and recess, and initiating an anti-dengue information campaign. Some volunteers are engaged according to their inclinations, as library assistants during their vacant periods, while others volunteer by tutoring younger students in Math. 6. Students record their weekly activities in a Record Book. These Record Books are duly signed by their Award Leaders or activity coaches on their weekly meetings. 7. By June or July, Award Leaders prepare for the Adventurous Journey. Students may opt to conduct their Adventurous Journey in Palawan, an island on the western part of the Philippines, or compete for a slot in the Youth Exchange Program. B. Selection of Participants to the Youth Exchange Program 1. Students who wish to participate in the Youth Exchange Program undergo a stringent selection process. Slots are limited to the number of participants agreed upon by SHSI and Sanulim Youth Center. Thus far, we adhere to a total number of 15 participants from either side, composed of 13 students and 2 Award Leaders. 2. A committee of Award Leaders screens the participants to the YEP based on the criteria agreed upon by all the Award Leaders in the school. 3. Selection process of student participants: • Individually, the students deliver before the selection committee, an oral presentation of his progress in accomplishing his self-development goals in Skills, Physical Recreation, and Community Service. This is supported by a slideshow of his activities, and his Record Book which had been duly verified by his designated Award Leader. • The student must be able to persuade the selection committee that participation in the YEP will be a life-changing experience, and that he is physically fit to undergo the journey. • The selection committee members rate each student. Then the ratings are tallied,

3 and the students are ranked. • The top 13 students are selected as participants to the YEP. 4. The parents of participants are informed and their consent to participate is obtained. 5. The YEP is an innovation in the required Adventurous Journey of the Award because the participants are taking up their AJ twice --- first in the Philippines and second, in South Korea. In both cases, the participants are required to undertake at least 6 hours of purposeful effort outdoors for 2 consecutive days. C. Youth Exchange Program – Adventurous Journey, Philippine leg every August. 1. In July, a committee of Award Leaders train the SHSI participants on map reading, orienteering, camp craft (i.e. pitching tent, cooking), first aid and emergency protocol, trekking, taking public transport, and documentation. Practice camps are conducted in areas similar to the actual places to be visited. 2. Before the Korean participants arrive in the Philippines, they are paired with an SHSI counterpart or team mate. This is essential in their journey as a team as well as in home stay arrangements in their respective countries. 3. The participants are made to understand the purpose of the YEP, the requirements that must be met, and the schedule of activities for the 4-day camp. 4. Award Leaders are assigned specific tasks in the 4-day camp. 5. Sample schedule of activities. Days 2 & 3 are the required activities; on these days, participants must learn to work together as a team and meet the challenges presented. • Day 1 – arrival at the airport, lunch at a Filipino fastfood restaurant, opening and welcome ceremony at SHSI, attendance to the school’s acquaintance party for all students, go to home stay. • Day 2 – trekking at Panguil Eco-River Park to Ambon-ambon Falls, rafting and rubber tubing at the river, ride traditional Filipino jeepney, shop for dinner given a budget, hike to Mt Makiling, pitch tent, cook dinner • Day 3 – cook breakfast, conduct map reading and orienteering from Mt Makiling to Los Baños town, eat traditional Filipino snack (halo-halo), lunch at a traditional Filipino restaurant, do community service activity such as distribution of relief goods, or visit an assigned underprivileged family and with limited resources make them happy, dinner with the Provincial Governor and closing program, go back to homestay • Day 4 – activities for building friendships: visit to the Shrine, Enchanted Kingdom (theme park), souvenir shopping, dinner, debriefing, departure of Korean participants. 6. SHSI participants submit an essay and a photographic documentation of their experience. 7. The designated Award Leader signs the Record Book as proof of completion of the Adventurous Journey. D. Youth Exchange Program – Adventurous Journey, South Korean leg every October 1. In September, the designated Award Leaders train the participants on Korean culture, basic conversation, climate and clothing, taking public transport such as subway trains and city buses, accomplishing travel documents, budgeting pocket money and packing personal effects for a 4-day trip, etc. Simulation activities are conducted such as riding a city train. 2. The participants are made to understand the purpose of the YEP, the requirements that must be met, and the schedule of activities for the 4-day camp. 3. Award Leaders are assigned specific tasks in the 4-day camp. 4. Sample schedule of activities. Days 2 & 3 are the required activities; on these days, participants must learn to work together as a team and meet the challenges presented. • Day 1 – arrival at the airport, opening ceremony, lunch, visit to Woong Jin Play City for snow sledding, attend Bucheon Youth Festival and present a song or dance number, homestay • Day 2 – assembly at YeokGok subway station, navigating to Seoul using given maps of places to visit, traditional Korean lunch at Insadong, debriefing and camp at the youth center • Day 3 – trek to Mt Wonmi, museums, shopping in traditional wet market, Korean food cooking competition, farewell party, debriefing • Day 4 – departure, back to the Philippines 5. SHSI participants submit an essay and a photographic documentation of their experience. 6. The designated Award Leader signs the Record Book as proof of completion of the Adventurous Journey.

4 E. Completion of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Program 1. The Award Leaders collect all Record Books and check the completion of activities and attainment of individual goals in all aspects of the award. 2. Certificates of completion are awarded during the annual school graduation ceremony in April.

8. Teaching and learning methodologies that the school applies for promoting the core competencies as identified in number 5. The activities in the YEP are applications of knowledge and skills learned in Grades 7, 8, 9 and 10. In Grades 8 & 9 Social Studies, for example, students have learned contemporary Asian and global issues like uneven development, poverty, environmental degradation, climate change. By visiting a progressive country like South Korea, they observe, first hand, the differences and similarities between developed and developing countries in terms of technology, infrastructure, modes of transportation, people’s attitudes and general way of life. A visit to Cheonggyecheon in Seoul, for example, would expose students to the fact that an ambitious, eco-friendly urban renewal project is possible. In Grades 7 & 8, students learned to deliver first aid and follow emergency protocols. Map reading, orienteering, and community service are taken up by all 4th year students in the Citizenship Advancement Training subject. Values-based competencies such as respect for diversity, self-reliance, and independence were taught in the subject “Values Education”. However, the real test for values acquisition is to expose students in real life circumstances that demand making choices. In the YEP, the students are working together to achieve a common goal with unfamiliar people in an unfamiliar environment --- a circumstance that will eventually lead them to draw from their personal understanding of these core values-based competencies. This line of thinking continues to the home stay arrangement that is an essential component of the Youth Exchange Program. Welcoming a foreigner into one’s family and home engages the student (and his family) actively and personally into the program. Universal values like diversity and tolerance become concrete and real only when they become personal experiences that are woven into the student’s life story.

9. Partnership, community participation and international connection (Details of partners, their roles and activities that they have involved) Name of Partner Role or Contribution 1 Sanulim Youth Center Full sponsorship of participants’ stay in South Bucheon, South Korea Korea 2 Parents of participants Home stay hosts, financial support for their child’s airfare and participation, volunteers 3 Laguna Cultural, Tourism, and Trade Office Tour arrangements 4 Laguna Governor’s Office Financial support and other 5 Philippine Red Cross Logictics and manpower support 6 Department of Social Welfare and Identification of recipients of relief goods and Development donations, assistance in community visits 7 Chairman of Putho in Los Baños, Provision of venue for distribution of relief Laguna goods, manpower support 8 Rotary Club of Makiling Los Baños Provision of camping tents 9 Malayan Colleges of Laguna Donation of Php 50,000 for the airfare of 2 10 Colegio de San Juan de Letran Award Leaders to South Korea 11 Vibal Publishing Co. 12 Rex Book Store 13 Union Galva Steel Corp. 14 SEARCA Hotel Provision of discounts in cost of hotel accommodations for Korean Award Leaders Enchanted Kingdom Provision of free tickets for the participants

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5 10. Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and summary of results Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanisms: At the start of each school year, the school administration draws a calendar of academic and co-curricular activities which includes the DEIA – YEP as an annual activity. Based on the calendar, the Award Leaders plan the activities for the DEIA-YEP using the Critical Path algorithm. After each activity, it is evaluated using the SWOT framework. The students also evaluate through post- activity participant satisfaction survey. The results of these are summarized and are used to guide and inform future plans.

Results: • SHSI and Korean participants demonstrated a high degree of caring, tolerance, awareness and acceptance of cultural diversity. Most participants want to extend the number of days of the Exchange Program. They found the activities meaningful and very satisfactory. • Filipino participants reported that from the YEP, they learned how to be responsible, independent, how to organize and manage time better, how to understand cultures and traditions of other people, and how to care for somebody. They learned that Koreans are humble. • Korean participants reported that from the YEP, they are most satisfied with their home stay hosts. They learned about friendship, leadership, respect for cultural difference, other people’s food choices, and cooperation. • Overall, the Award Leaders found that the YEP has been meeting its goals for the past three years.

11. Resources used for programme implementation Human Resources Teachers, students, staff, parents, alumni, social workers from Brgy. Putho Financial Resources Sponsors from educational institutions, business community, contributions from participating students Capital/Infrastructure Use of classroom for meetings with students, parents. Use of school

vehicle to deliver relief goods. Use of school grounds for camping.

12. Benefits/Impacts/ positive outcomes of the programme to students, school and community Benefits to Students The Award and participation in the Youth Exchange Program has enabled students to • gain recognition in extracurricular activities such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency National Essay Writing Contest (Skill), Iron Kids Sprint Triathlon (Physical Recreation), Philippine Red Cross and Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (Service) • gained new skills and nurtured existing skills like time management, teamwork, leadership, and problem solving (Youth Exchange Program) • built confidence, self-reliance and independence in pursuit of completing their individual programs to qualify for the Youth Exchange Program • built a network of friends and colleagues (Bucheon Youth Festival, DofE Training for Trainers Beijing) • developed a perspective that values cultural diversity, non-discrimination (homestay system during the Youth Exchange Program) • made a positive impact in their community and beyond (relief operations during the Yolanda and Glenda, tapping local tourism and crafts communities for revitalizing Laguna culture)

Benefits to school The Award and the Youth Exchange Program has been beneficial in that it involved the school in an internationally recognized and developed program that meets a global standard of competency, delivery, and assessment. It improved student and faculty relationships and provided opportunities for interacting with the local community and beyond.

Benefits to the community The community benefitted from the Award and the Youth Exchange Program by investing capital in future leaders. It introduced the community’s culture, lifestyle, and crafts to a global market, and local markets to global standards.

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13. Plan for sustainability and plan for the future Plans for sustainability: 1. Continue recruitment of students to the program 2. Disseminate information about the program to a larger audience outside the school 3. Recruit new award leaders every year, continue training programs for award leaders 4. Secure government and corporate partnership for continuous support 5. Define and clarify roles of all partners 6. Monitor the project management process 7. Improve documentation 8. Emphasize identifying timelines and project milestones Plans for the future: 1. Make the award accessible to more students from our school 2. Consider possible partnership with other Award providers in the Southeast Asian region 3. Strengthen and expand the network of community service beneficiaries 14. List of attachments such as a copy of the school operational plan, learning/ teaching materials, samples of student worksheet, manual, etc. If the attached materials are in the local language, please provide a brief description in English language.

Attachment 1) Post Activity Participants Satisfaction Survey – Korean Leg.pdf Attachment 2) Post Activity Participants Satisfaction Survey –Phil. Leg.pdf Attachment 3) Sample Lesson Plan in Social Studies.pdf Attachment 4) Map Orienteering.zip Attachment 5) YEP Philippine Leg Manual.pdf Attachment 6) Video Link (Youtube) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSevhtwUulQ Enzymatic Composting Waste Management Program

15. Photos related to the activity/programme (Maximum of 6 photos with captions in English) Photo1

Local heads of of the community, Oh Jae Beob and Susan Kim, of the Korea Youth Work Agency, welcome the Philippine delagates to Bucheon, South Korea as they begin their in depth journey with their host families.

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Local tourism industries get a nudge in the right direction with the help of the Youth Exchange Program when the kids enjoy simple thrills like rubber tubing in the river rapids.

Photo 3

Jose Rizal was among the first Filipino Global citizens that was aware not only of the oppressions at home but the political will that moved the actions of nations. It is only apt that the Youth Exchange Program participants should stand in his shadow.

Photo 4

Korean Youth Exchange Program participants participate in post- Glenda relief operations. Awareness of Global issues such as heavy impacting climate change remains as one of the backbones of the program.

8 Photo 5

In the Philippine Leg, the Korean Delegates test their agility by learning the Tinikling, a dance that mimics a rice eating bird’s mincing step as it avoids traps set before it by farmers..

Photo 6

Participants are made aware of global issues such as solid waste that take up valuable land area and produce greenhouse gasses. Participants take an active role in creating a sustainable solution making enzymatic composting a viable solution to small communities and households, who are then empowered towards environmental stewardship.

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