2019

This is an Entry to the Government Best Practice Recognition Awards

Title

Contextualization & Localization: Climate Change Adaptation for Resilient Schools

Organization

Niogan Elementary School

Best practice Focus Area(s)

Social and environmental responsibility, Climate change adaptation or mitigation

Summary

“Contextualized and Localized Worksheet: An Integrated Climate Change Adaptation Activity Sheets in Science 5” project is considered exemplary or extraordinary because aside from that it won in the research competition and presented in an international conference, it also supports environmental education which is lined with the flagship program of the province in environmental protection YES to Green Program or the Ynares Ecosystem Program of Governor Rebecca Nini Ynares for greening the environment, cleaning the environment and recycling, embodying the aim to address environmental issues of waste management. It also promotes tourism which adheres to the tourism program of the Municipality of Pililla, the 54 Windmill Turbines which can be found in the activity sheets.

Project EARTH (Environmental Advocacy and Recycling Through Exchange Project) aimed to raise awareness by protecting the environment and climate change awareness through recycling by exchanging plastic bottles for school supplies. This project is in line with the action research conducted by the Climate Educate Project. This innovation lets pupils learn from localized educational materials, ideas, and resources about basic climate change principles and concepts independently. It also includes a miniature of the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) for 5Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover & Repair).

For the Emergency Response Cycle, an instructional resilience and emergency response truck made of wood which includes boxes of materials of DIY or “do it yourself” training materials in making improvised emergency kits such as fire extinguishers and stoves from localized resources. This project is also one of the added lessons in the activity sheets Cyclone FOWER (Food WastE disintegratoR). This is a technology-innovation which grinds food wastes.

Background and Problem

When the project implementer, Mr. De Lara, attended the K-12 Training for Grade 5 last 2016, one of the major problems, an underlying issue and concern of 5th grade teachers in the implementation of K-12 is lack of teaching guides and learning materials. The teachers had been facing a lack of Grade 5 Learner’s Materials (LM) and Teacher’s Modules (TG) which limits the students and teachers in the access to quality education.

A study was conducted which led to the  development of an output/material “Contextualized and Localized worksheet: An Integrated Climate Change Adaptation Activity Sheets in Science 5”. This project led to the development of other school projects and programs related to environmental education and climate change adaptation. These challenges made the project implementer to learn about this and be able to raise awareness on the impacts of climate change for children, create platforms and projects since children are the most vulnerable to climate impacts.

Solution and Impact

The projects are geared towards the achievement of the mission and vision of the Department of Education in achieving to protect students’ learning in a friendly and safe environment. This program is also significant for an enormous impact in transforming the  learners with their boundless needs to become stewards and 21st-century learners. These projects strengthen, integrate, and institutionalize education sectors to create programs and initiatives to achieve and address environmental problems. As a realization of this, it’s the dream that by doing this, we can achieve sustainable development.

These projects are structured on life skills education, a program of needs- and outcomes-based participatory learning that aims to increase positive behavior by assisting learners to develop a sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment. These environmental projects strengthen governance and policymaking especially in the education department as a helping tool to adapt to climate changes. These support environmental education serve as a way to instill environmental literacy to students because an active role in environmental protection establishes a foundation for their future understandings and actions as citizens of the country and promotes national and community based environmental stewardship children’s wellbeing.

Milestones

These projects eradicate, combat, and lessen the impacts of climate change which lowers and lessens waste of the school by 95%. In addition 23,000 students, 10,000 parents and 500 teachers in school and community learned from the projects conducted.

Awards:

  • 2019- 30 Under 30 Youth 30 Game-Changing Leaders under 30 years old Global Environmental Education Partnership, North American Association for Environmental Education July 18, 2019
  • National Winner – Nationwide Search for the Most Innovative Research in Teaching and Learning in Science- Grade 4-6- Contextualization and Localization: Acceptability of the Developed Activity Sheets
  • in Science 5 Integrating Climate Change Adaptation Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute, December 11, 2018, Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City
  • Best Photo for Water for Food Asia Development Bank Asian Water Forum, Water You Doing Contest Best Research for Water & Food Category Asian Development Bank Headquarters, October 4, 2018
  • 1st Place Winner – Innovative Instructional Materials for Least Mastered Skills in Science, Climate Change Adaptation September 20, 2018, Cainta Elementary School
  • Special Award and Recipient of East West Seed Foundation/ Shell Foundation, Awarding Ceremony on the Search for the Sustainable Food Production Technologies Taytay Elementary School Taytay, Rizal March 23, 2018