Values Education is a process by which we can transmit positive values to other people. Positive values begets positive actions and this is what we need to change the world. Changing the World Through Values Education is aimed to train Values Educators in the Philippines. Abraham Lincoln said, “If I have six hours to chop a tree, I would spend the first four hours to sharpen the axe.” Hence, this project will help Values educators to better transform Filipino students and other Filipinos in the community as well by giving them the right tools in teaching.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Manila
Describe the specific population with whom you will be working.
Values educators in the Philippines are not given much emphasis. If a teacher was task to teach Values Education, its either there are no more teaching load except for that or he/she is unpopular teacher in the school. Hence, this project will show the great value of teaching values education. And that all educators are values teachers since teachers are bound to teach not only concepts but also lifelong values. In this world of modernism, fast paced technology and secularism it is important that each person will have set of values in order to properly discern and decide for an action that will benefit not only the self but also other people in the world. The target population are Filipino Educators who have the capacity to change the world.
Who else will be on your team to help implement the project?
I have been an advocate and promoter of Values here in the Philippines. I have started an the Values and Religion Educators Association in the Philippines, where I am the Vice-President. This is registered in the Security and Exchange Commission in the Philippines. I am currently maintaining the VREAP facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ValuesAndReligionEducatorsOfThePhilippinesvreap?ref=hl
To help me in this endeavor, I am including Mr. Clarence Darro del Castillo, an administrator of the FB VREAP page and an advocate in education. He has the following sites and blogs: http://teachingvaluesandreligion.wordpress.com/author/teachingvaluesandreligion/ and http://clarencedelcastillo.wordpress.com/2014/04/02/balay-indang-on-team-building-finding-oneself-and-true-recreation
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
Stories, poems, reflections, videos, documentations, research papers, articles and blogs that talks about POSITIVE VALUES. These are the things that the world needs now. There are too many negative news in the media nowadays. Why not create with POSITIVE NEWS! Why not post stories about service and love. Borba (2012) said that morality is build on love. Why not propagate practices of Agape/ Unconditional Love so that we can have a deep impact to change the world through values education.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established or plan to establish that will contribute to the success of the project.
In 2012, a group of educators including me started this Values and Religion Educators Association in the Philippines VREAP. It is a non-profit organization that will cater to the training needs of Educators in the Philippines. Since, we do not have funding we look for sponsors who can help us maintain the training activities. As the founding member, I continue to maintain the facebook page of VREAP in order to propagate uplifting messages and positive thoughts https://www.facebook.com/ValuesAndReligionEducatorsOfThePhilippinesvreap
How many participants do you think will be trained in your project?
The Philippines is divided into 3 mainlands Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao with 17 regions. Using the demographics of our country, we will be including 20 educators from Luzon, 10 from Visayas and 10 from Mindanao in the training project. They will be given proper training as to how to teach values that will make an impact in their students and community. They will be task to PAY IT FORWARD in their communities and produce stories, poems, videos, etc about changes that happened to them and their community because of the positive values which they have experienced. These products will then be published and propagated in the media.
Describe which technologies, tools, and media you will focus on when training participants.
It will be the technical writing and creating blogs. Since, the participants will be asked to write blogs about the changes that happen to them in teaching values education. They will be trained to highlight interesting insights about values education.
Describe the facilities where you will hold the workshops.
Workshops can be done in an educational institution that has 40 computer units with internet connection. I am a Assistant Professor at De La Salle University Manila, I can coordinate with our University in this matter. The Lasallian Brothers, who are the owner of the school, are very generous and has the heart of service for those who are in need. Also, De La Salle University Manila is one of the leading universities in the Philippines, the institution has a great facility for workshops like this.
What is your current relationship with the community with whom you plan to work? What makes you the most appropriate individual or organization to implement this project?
I am the Vice-President and co-founder of the Values and Religion Association of the Philippines, Currently I am a faculty of De La Salle University Manila. Aside from teaching, I am also a researcher and author of several books. I have learned in life that if you want to change the world one must educate. But education is not yet complete. Education must be embedded with right values in order for the impact to be deeper. I plan to sustain this project by implanting the seed of the heart of service to those who will be part of the training program.
What specific challenges do you expect to face when planning and implementing your project?
The main challenge that I will be confronting is to find committed educators. In order to overcome this challenge, I will conduct a screening process to find out how committed can the teacher-applicant can be. Since this will be a long term plan, commitment is indeed needed.
How will you measure and evaluate the project’s impact, specifically: your primary participants, the wider regional community, or the global digital community?
Through data. By the number of reach of blogs through social media we will be able evaluate the project's impact. Also by the number of people who are commenting, responding and being touched by our positive news that we will be able to know whether we are changing the world.
If your project were to be selected as a Rising Voices grantee, what would be the general timeline of project activities in 2014?
Screening process will start by June 2014
Selecting process is on July 2014
Start of Training is August 2014
Creating of Blogs and Positive News August 2014 onwards
Inviting netizens to participate in the project Change the World through Values Education August 2014 onwards
Continuous Promotion September 2014 onwards
First Impact Evaluation December 2014
Detail a specific budget of up to $2,500 USD for operating costs.
Budget for the Operating Cost
2 day Training Workshop for 40 pax – 1,700 USD
inclusion: food, venue, honorarium for the trainors, workshop seminar
Travel expenses – 100 USD
Coordinator expenses – 100 USD
Miscellaneous – 100 USD
Total of 2,000 USD
Besides the microgrant funding, what other support can Rising Voices provide for your project to ensure its success?
We would like to ask for your assistance to network with other organization who has the same mission-vision as our project. This to connect with them and thus create a bigger impact in changing the world through values education
Contact name
Fides del Castillo
Organization
Values and Religion Educators Association of the Philippines