From one city to another, the non-profit organization Teach for the Philippines (TFP) has weaved a dedicated network of education advocates over its first ten (10) years. As it nears this milestone, TFP sets out to showcase and engage its community of education leaders and allies through high-impact activities throughout 2022 and 2023.
Housed under a rallying cry for creating “Ripples of Impact”, the organization unveils a year-long campaign celebrating its decade-strong achievements in education reform and plans moving forward.
Niki Baroy, Teacher Fellow from the 2017 Cohort, deployed in Cagayan de Oro from 2017 to 2019 where she taught Math, as well as implemented TFP’s Functional Literacy and Batang Bayani Life Skills programs. Currently, Niki is a social researcher at Westir and a program coordinator at The Asia Foundation.
The Ripple Effect
The “Ripples of Impact” campaign takes inspiration from TFP’s journey over the past decade. Starting out as a small organization working in just one city with 10 partner schools and 49 Fellows, TFP has reached over 80,000 public school students and has grown into an ecosystem composed of at least 350 young Filipino leaders, over 100 partner schools across a total of 39 local governments nationwide – all of whom are working toward the collective goal of providing access to inclusive, relevant and excellent education for Filipino children.
“It’s incredible to think that it’s been ten years since Teach for the Philippines was born. We continue to believe deeply in our model for change and are proud to see how far our network of leaders and partners has flourished in the past decade; how our advocacy has strengthened with every student we reach,” shares TFP Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Clarissa Isabelle Delgado.
She adds: “We still have a lot of ground to cover. We are grateful for every step forward.”
A Decade’s Worth of Inspiration
Kicking off its year-long celebrations is TFP’s 2020 Cohort Graduation in July, concluding the two-year Fellowship Program and Public School Teacher Pathways (PSTP) of teachers who remained committed to learning continuity despite the pandemic. They welcome a new batch of Fellows and Teacher Leaders who will be inducted into their respective programs the following month.
August is an exciting time for TFP’s “Ripples of Impact” movement, with a lineup of activities showcasing the best of its work. Premiering in Manila is “Kilapsaw,” a musical documentary featuring stories from TFP Fellows in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. TFP’s Annual Report is also slated for release in this month, along with Ripple Story Cards, limited edition TFP products, and an inspired partnership in the form of Linya-Linya x TFP merchandise for public fundraising.
National Teachers’ Month in September to October marks the start of TFP’s regional film roadshows for “Kilapsaw,” and the beginning of its 2023 Fellowship Recruitment Cycle. In November, the organization is set to launch a partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for a Knowledge Sharing Event and the launch of a digital learning platform for educators and parents.
The campaign engagements will continue in 2023, kicking off with TFP’s Flipped field trips until March, and the continuation of the “Kilapsaw” roadshow. In May, the year-long celebration will conclude with the launch of TFP’s revamped website, and the commemoration of its 10-year journey in building the nation through education.
It Takes A Village
Teach for the Philippines’ calendar of activities, packed as it may be, bears one strong message: the vision of ensuring all Filipino children benefit from quality education can be achieved through open collaboration among communities, institutions, and individuals – even those beyond TFP’s network.
“If there’s one thing we learned in the last ten years, ripples of change only grow through persistence and a collective effort to sustain action. We need to continue spreading our message about focusing on education quality and welcoming new partners into our fold. It is so that the transformation that begins in our classrooms reaches more people and changes more lives,” Delgado concludes.
As TFP commences its 10th year of nation-building through education reform, it amplifies the resounding notion that everyone is responsible for ensuring that no child gets left further behind. TFP looks far ahead into the future with the hope of touching more lives and calls on like-minded Filipinos and organizations to become agents of change.
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To join Teach for the Philippines’ “Ripples of Impact” movement toward education reform, go to https://teachforthephilippines.com/