Quezon City, Philippines – As the third year of the Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation Building program kicks off, public elementary teachers from the Visayas and Mindanao are rolling out innovative community-based reading initiatives designed to bring literacy beyond classroom walls. Among the standout Year 3 plans: a karaoke-inspired reading tool for struggling Grade 1 students, a Bible-based approach to reinforce values alongside comprehension, and a Facebook Messenger coaching strategy to engage parents in daily reading habits at home.

These plans were unveiled during the training held from June 2 to 6, 2025, at Ateneo de Manila University. Now in its third year, the program—part of Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI)’s Build a School, Build a Nation program and implemented in partnership with Ateneo—equips teachers to become literacy champions not only in schools but throughout their communities.

Each year of the program is guided by a unique theme. Year 1, “Transforming the Self,” focused on helping teachers design creative, student-centered reading lessons. Year 2, “Transforming the School,” encouraged collaboration among teachers and the implementation of peer-led reading interventions such as Reading Theaters and Stations.

Year 3, under the theme “Transforming Communities,” trains teachers to engage families, barangays, and local networks in fostering a culture of reading.

“This training empowered us to see literacy not just as a classroom goal, but as a shared mission. Through community involvement, we can nurture a love for reading that extends into every home,” shared training participant Christine Filomeno of Kalibo Pilot Elementary School.

SBFI Chairman Rafael F. Simpao, Jr. emphasized that improving literacy requires strong community ties: “This year, you are building partnerships, shared responsibility. Because children do not just grow in schools. They grow in the community. You can spark something in your community to invite them to invest in transforming the state of our education.”

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