Sixty Elementary English and Mathematics teachers from SBFI’s classroom beneficiary schools nationwide attended the Year One in-person training program at Ateneo de Iloilo from August 22-24, 2023.
Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) launched in July 2023 a transformative three-year training program to equip principals and teachers with the skills to become effective mentors of their respective learning communities. This initiative is an extension of SBFI’s “Build a School, Build a Nation” program, which encompasses school building donations, educational infrastructure repairs, and comprehensive training programs for educators nationwide.
The “Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building” program is designed for long-term impact, structured around a three-year roadmap, which develops the Self in Year One, the School in Year Two, and the Community in Year Three. Principals will formulate Transformational Action Plans (TAPs) to tackle school-specific challenges, while teachers will craft model lesson plans and learning improvement strategies. After completion, they will transition into mentorship roles for their school stakeholders and incoming trainees.
“We acknowledge that classrooms alone will not completely address the current state of the country’s educational system. We need to complement it with training programs for teachers and principals. Improving the quality of education also needs a long term and structured approach,” said Rafael Simpao F. Jr., SBFI Chairman.
Collaboration with international partners for principals’ training
The industry visit at Canva Philippines is part of the “Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building” training program for 30 principals nationwide. Present at the industry visit, from left to right: Michelle Leong, Senior Manager for Capacity Building Programs of The HEAD Foundation Singapore; Juvyleth Vinarao, Ateneo Center for Educational Development Staff Member; Dr. Vicente Reyes, Associate Professor at the Centre for Research in Educational Leadership and Management (CRELM) at the University of Nottingham; Louie de Real, Security Bank Foundation Executive Director; and Camille Armas, Canva Philippines Social Impact Program Manager.
The training for principals includes the Certificate in Educational Studies in Leadership (CESL) offered by the University of Nottingham (United Kingdom) in partnership with The HEAD Foundation Singapore, along with modules from Ateneo De Manila University. Through the training, the principals will be honed to become effective and culture-sensitive leaders using blended learning modalities, application of experiential learning through industry visits, and guided reflection sessions.
Addressing long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic through teacher training
Teachers from beneficiary schools of Security Bank Foundation, Inc.’s (SBFI) classrooms donation program attended the first in-person teachers’ training program of SBFI and Ateneo Center for Educational Development held at Ateneo de Iloilo.
The teachers’ training, on the other hand, is aimed to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on the education system. “Academics say that the learning loss from the pandemic resulted in all students being ‘minus two’ from their current grade levels,” said Atty. Grace Ayson, Security Bank Assistant Corporate Secretary and Security Bank Foundation Training Programs Adviser.
The program intends to improve the teachers’ pedagogy to develop students’ 21st century skills, create effective lessons for struggling and advanced learners, develop effective assessments, and engage stakeholders to improve student performance.
Use of various methodologies to maximize learning
Thirty principals nationwide attended an immersion at Accenture Philippine Hub for Innovation in Bonifacio Global City as part of a three-year training program by Security Bank Foundation, Inc., Ateneo de Manila University, University of Nottingham (United Kingdom) and The HEAD Foundation (Singapore).
Principals also visited the facilities of Arete Ateneo Creativity and Innovation Hub in Quezon City, Accenture Philippine Hub for Innovation in Bonifacio Global City, and Canva Philippines in Makati City as part of the training.
The inaugural group for the training programs included 30 principals from both SBFI and non-SBFI beneficiary schools as well as 60 Elementary English and Mathematics teachers, all from SBFI beneficiary schools.
“We principals can make or break our organization depending on how we manage our stakeholders and resources. We should ‘walk the talk,’ and set standards for our school team to follow,” said Benjamin Ongteco, Jr., Principal of Caingin Elementary School from Sta. Rosa, Laguna, an SBFI classrooms construction beneficiary school.
To learn more about SBFI’s projects and how you can contribute, visit www.securitybank.com/foundation.