Folk Wisdom for Growing Up Workshop for Children

In cooperation with the University of Santo Tomas
Faculty of Arts and Letter Outreach Program, and
Lagro Homeowners Association,
April 17 to May 10 2013
Conducted by Dr be V Rotor

Background
Children come every Sunday afternoon to the house in Lagro. At first there were six, then two dozens - children ages 7 to 13 years from the neighborhood. They call me Lolo Abe, their mentor.

They are in the grades and in high school and they are intelligent. And they are a happy lot. They like to come and want to know what I am doing with the microscope, how I mix colors and paint on canvas, play the violin, feed the fish in the aquarium. Or visit a mongrel dog I gave a home.

We meet under a covered front yard and under the trees. It is sort of extension class. Lessons were compiled and became a source book. It has six chapters with thirty articles.

1. Keeping Tradition Alive
2. Appreciating Nature’s Beauty and Bounty
3. Building Good Health and Lifestyle
4. Developing Practical Skills and Self-Reliance
5. Tapping Talents in the Humanities
6. Emulating Models of Greatness

Some have attended as many as 12 sessions, three hours each. They started talking about school projects, home remedies, and things about growing up – or at least, not cartoon characters, computer games, or frequenting the malls. But what happens after?

The lessons are taken up on Paaralang Bayan saHimpapawid hosted by MsMelly C Tenorio and myself as the instructor. The program is linked up with School on Blog [avrotor.blogspot.com], broadcast simultaneously every 8 to 9 in the evening, Monday to Friday on 738 DZRB AM.

The children simply open the Blog and read the lessons. They can download and print them. New lessons are posted regularly to keep the program going. They join the viewers on the Internet (500,000 pageviews to date), and the audience of the radio program. On PBS and Bureau of Broadcast network nationwide and on [www.pbs.gov.ph] worldwide

Learning can be simplified with today’s technology and vast networking. Education can be made available to everyone. Lessons become practical, literacy functional with the least cost. Let us start with the kids in the neighborhood.

NOTE: Each of the twelve (12) successful participants will be awarded a Certificate of Participation by the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters, indeed a great pride and honor for these potential leaders, and on the part of their parents and the community.

Workshop Features
1. Summer workshop for children of school age - 7 to 12
2. Recommended and sponsored by LAHA
3. Class size: 25 to 30, preferably of equal gender
4. Venue : Laha Conference Hall. Multi media and sound system, optional
5. Attendance: ten sessions, three hours each, thrice a week; includes exhibit and graduation.
6. Class rules: same as in school, on grooming, attendance, performance
7. Recognition: Grading and ranking, citations, exhibit award.
8. Lessons in 6 parts or chapters. See attached manual
9. Teaching methods: Lecture-demo, hands-on, team work, home and community projects.
10. Linkages: Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid, 738 DZRB 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday
11. Internet Link: avrotor.blogspot.comSchool on Blog
12. Faculty Outreach program of UST Faculty of Arts & Letters
13. Practicum in lieu of field trip – home and community
14. Exhibit of selected works, and graduation
15. Cooperating organizations: LAHA, Barangay Greater Lagro-QC,
UST Faculty of Arts and Letters.~