SL@PolyU in Philippines

On Saturday, January 4, the University of Philippines Team welcomed the PolyU Service-Learning Team to their Diliman campus, kicking off our first large scale  Joint Winter Service-Learning Project.  The PolyU Team consists of 200+ students and their teachers.  Together, the Joint Team has 300+ members, including the UP President.  In the following week, three major projects were carried out. 

The largest project is itself split into three smaller teams, each with 40 PolyU students, plus their UP collaborators.  They do eye inspections for hundreds of children, for common problems such as short-sightedness, colour blindness, etc.  This is a much needed service in many developing countries, in which millions and millions of children who have never had their eyes inspected.  Many do need eye glasses to help them see properly, without realising it.  By the time they realise it, the situation has gotten so bad that not much can be done to alleviate the problem.  In fact, many adults have the same 

Another team will run workshops to train primary school children to develop AI  (Artificial Intelligence) applications for the visually impaired.  This project achieves multiple purposes.  The obvious is that these primary children learn about some hot, advanced technology - artificial intelligence.  At the same time, they also learn about the needs of a disadvantaged group - the visually impaired.  PolyU students had to the learn the AI first, in order to teach the primary school children.  They also learn about these primary school children, and how to be a teacher themselves.  In the process, all learn the power of AI, and the seriousness of being left behind. 

The smallest team go to a special school to try to teach special needs children: physically handicapped, autistic, etc., basic motor skills.  Such as colouring, and even as basic as paying attention, and following instructions.  What they try to do is very emotionally intense and draining.  Yet also satisfying.  The special school is well organised and staffed with professionals.  Yet like many of its kind, there is always a shortage of funds, space, manpower, and new ideas. Our Joint Team provide some much appreciated new initiatives.  Including an attractive LEGO wall.  

While our students serve the community, we are also running a Teacher Training Course, for 20 university teachers coming from Philippines, Hong Kong and Cambodia.  They learn the core concepts, numerous case studies, and get to observe the three real life projects in action.  They get to speak with the students, teachers, the clients, the parents, the NGO/school staff, …  How did three very diverse projects happen to take place nearby while the teachers take the Teacher Development Course?  Or does it actually happen the other way around?  Or perhaps everything was planned as one giant event?  However it happen, it takes a lot of effort, and a lot of collaboration.  Pervading everything is the spirit of Service-Learning.  

The teachers actually have to propose their own Service-Learning subject, and associated project.  We, their teachers, provide them with feedback, and let them revise their proposals.  At the end, we are hoping some good new SL teachers and subjects will be born. 

All of these, will not have happened without the great work from University of Philippines.  Particularly, our great friends Dennis, Therese, …  We are hoping this is just the begining of a great friendship between us.