DepEd and Chalkboard Launch the ARAL Program: A New Initiative to Boost Literacy and Numeracy in Public Schools

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In a landmark initiative aimed at enhancing the quality of education in the country, the Department of Education (DepEd) has entered into a formal partnership with Chalkboard, a leading provider of tutoring services, to launch the Academic Remediation, Acceleration, and Livelihood (ARAL) Program. This program seeks to address the pressing challenges in literacy and numeracy faced by Filipino students, particularly in public schools.

The Department of Education taps Chalkboard’s community-based ARAL Program to help enhance literacy and numeracy skills among public school children. At the MOA signing ceremony were (L-R): Georgina Yang, DepEd Assistant Secretary; Sharon Santiago, Chalkboard Marketing Director; Leandro Añonuevo, Chalkboard Director of Business Development and Partnerships; Sonny Angara, DepEd Secretary; Kristine Brown, Chalkboard Chief Executive Officer; and Albert Tablan, Chalkboard Chief Operating Officer.

The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed on October 14 at the DepEd Central Office in Pasig City by DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara and Chalkboard CEO Kristine E. Brown. This partnership brings together the strengths of both the public and private sectors to promote improved educational outcomes for K-10 learners.

A Collaborative Effort for Quality Education

The ARAL Program embodies a synergistic collaboration between DepEd and Chalkboard, leveraging their combined expertise to ensure accessible, high-quality education for all Filipino learners. This partnership aligns with the government’s mandate to provide accessible, quality education as outlined in Republic Act 8525, otherwise known as the “Adopt-A-School Act of 1998,” which encourages private sector involvement in improving public education.

During the signing ceremony, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara highlighted the importance of collaboration in achieving the department’s goals. “DepEd is committed to ensuring that quality education is accessible to all Filipino learners, and this partnership with Chalkboard is a significant step toward that goal. By working together with the private sector, we can improve the academic performance and overall well-being of our students,” he noted.

Comprehensive, Evidence-Based Curriculum Powered by Advanced Technology

At the heart of the ARAL Program lies Chalkboard’s evidence-based curriculum, meticulously designed to ensure effective learning outcomes. This curriculum is grounded in the latest educational research and best practices, ensuring that each component is proven to enhance literacy and numeracy skills. A key feature of this curriculum is its integration of advanced technology to process data and inform the progress of each student.

ARAL Program Structure and Implementation

The ARAL Program employs a comprehensive, evidence-based strategy to address learning deficits exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Developed by Chalkboard, the program offers up to 25 days of targeted tutoring over six weeks, delivered through both in-person and digital platforms. This high-frequency, intensive approach is supported by research demonstrating substantial improvements in literacy and numeracy skills.

The program includes several key components:

• Personalized Learning: The tutoring sessions are tailored to meet the unique needs of each student, ensuring that every learner receives the appropriate support.

• Nutritional Support: Recognizing the connection between nutrition and learning, the ARAL Program will provide nutritious snacks or meals during each tutoring session to support students’ well-being.

• Community Upskilling and Engagement: The program involves local community members as paid tutors, creating economic opportunities while fostering a supportive educational environment.

• Holistic Development: In addition to academic support, the ARAL Program aims to develop students’ socio-emotional skills, preparing them for success both in and outside of the classroom.

Chalkboard has designed the program to be scalable and sustainable, ensuring it can be replicated in different regions and communities across the Philippines. “We believe that education is the key to unlocking the full potential of every child,” said Kristine E. Brown, CEO of Chalkboard. “The ARAL Program is our contribution to improving the educational landscape of the Philippines, particularly in addressing the learning gaps that have been exacerbated by recent challenges such as the pandemic.”

Target Beneficiaries and Community Impact

The primary beneficiaries of the ARAL Program are K-10 students in public schools, particularly those struggling with literacy and numeracy. The program’s implementation will begin with pilot schools, and its success will be measured through Chalkboard’s assessment system, supplemented by DepEd’s assessment tools.

The program not only benefits students but also the wider community. Local community members will be engaged as paid tutors or food vendors, providing them with meaningful employment opportunities while contributing to the educational success of the students.

DepEd will coordinate closely with Chalkboard to select target areas and ensure smooth program implementation. Monitoring and evaluation will be conducted throughout the program’s two-year duration to ensure that it delivers tangible and verifiable results.

A Model for Future Educational Partnerships

The ARAL Program will be funded through partnerships with private sponsors, local government units, and other supporting entities. With the support of these stakeholders, the program aims to create a lasting positive impact on the academic performance and socio-emotional development of Filipino students.

This collaboration between DepEd and Chalkboard is seen as a model for future public-private partnerships in education. Both parties are optimistic that the ARAL Program will not only help bridge current learning gaps but also lay the foundation for long-term educational improvements in the country.

*Video Link: https://vimeo.com/1020030375

Samsung launches Solve for Tomorrow 2024, invites STEM students to share innovative ideas to solve local and sustainability issues

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Samsung Philippines’ Solve for Tomorrow is back for another innovation-packed season and is calling for Filipino students to showcase their tech solutions to reimagine the future.

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Now on its 2nd year in the PH, Public Science High School Students can win 

PHP 2 Million worth of cash prizes and Samsung devices by sharing 

tech solutions to help communities

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With the support of the Department of Education (DepEd) and Philippine Science High School System (PSHS), Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation continues their commitment to shaping the country’s next-gen heroes through the initiative by once again inviting public science high school students nationwide currently in grades 8 to 10 to showcase their best innovative ideas through the Solve for Tomorrow 2024 competition where they can get a chance to win PHP 2 Million worth of cash prizes and Samsung devices for their school, teams, and teacher adviser.

How to Join Solve for Tomorrow

Solve for Tomorrow 2024 is open to Grades 8-10 students of government-managed Science High Schools. They should form a team with a maximum of four (4) students each, and choose one faculty adviser from their respective schools. Each faculty adviser can coach up to three (3) teams.

Teams formed should identify a local community or environmental sustainability problem they want to solve with technology and AI and come up with a design proposal presented via a slides presentation (5 slides max with 2,500 words only) or word document (7 pages with Arial 11 font size). Once entry is finalized, they should submit the file via the Solve for Tomorrow registration form at https://www.samsung.com/ph/solve-for-tomorrow-2024/. Deadline for entries is on October 25, 2024.

Entries will be evaluated based on design innovation, relevance to the community, feasibility, STEM integration, sustainability, and clarity of proposal.

The entries will be judged by a panel of industry experts who will select the top 10 finalists to be announced on November 13, 2024. Finalists receive expert mentoring to improve their solutions and present their final proposals to the distinguished board of judges on December 3, 2024 to determine the top 3 winners.

The Grand Prize winner will take home PHP 500,000 worth of Samsung devices for the school, PHP100,000 cash prize for the team members, PHP20,000 cash prize for the teacher, and Samsung phone and tablets for team members and their teacher.

Meanwhile, the Second Prize winner will take home PHP 320,000 worth of Samsung devices for the school, PHP 70,000 cash prize for the team members, PHP 15,000 cash prize for the teacher, and Samsung phones and tablets for team members and their teacher.

Finally, the Third Prize winner will receive PHP 175,000 worth of Samsung devices for the school, PHP 50,000 cash prize for the team members, PHP 10,000 cash prize for the teacher, and Samsung phones and tablets for team members and their teacher.

The rest of the top 10 finalists will receive PHP 15,000 for their team and PHP 5,000 for their teacher.

For more information on Solve for Tomorrow and complete contest details, visit https://www.samsung.com/ph/solve-for-tomorrow-2024/.

Empowering the Next-gen Heroes

Solve for Tomorrow is a program under Samsung’s global corporate social responsibility vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’ which aims to empower and support the next generation of innovators to achieve their full potential and pioneer positive social changes. Through this initiative, Samsung provides opportunities for up and coming STEM leaders to craft ideas and drive positive change in their communities through tech, encouraging them to approach problems in new ways to find innovative solutions.

Since its global launch in 2010, Solve for Tomorrow has successfully provided an avenue to top students, helped over 2 million people, and reached 50 other countries. The program was first launched in the Philippines in 2023 where science high school students across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao shared sustainability solutions for their community.

In 2023, Solve for Tomorrow received over 200 entries with the first-ever Grand Prize winner, Team Intelllimeter, creating a proposal that aims to improve energy efficiency through their smart electric management system. Meanwhile, second prize winner Project O.A.S.I.S, proposed a filtration system to remove oil and microplastics from the ocean while third placer TomPost focused on waste management for the agricultural sector by repurposing tomatoes and other agricultural waste into compost and other products.

Samsung is committed to expand its sustainability and educational programs in the Philippines with Solve for Tomorrow that is now in its 2nd year in the Philippines, “At Samsung, we are committed to empowering communities – now, and for the future. Solve for Tomorrow is a testament to this, which manifests our global CSR vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People.’” SEPCO President, Chu Min Su shared.

“It is our goal to always find opportunities to support providing education for future generations, and we want to empower future innovators to achieve their full potential.”

*DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-201238 Series of 2024

Legarda commends Angara’s appointment as the new DepEd chief

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Senator Loren Legarda commended the appointment of Senator Sonny Angara as the new Education Secretary. She highlighted Angara's dedication and efficiency, emphasizing his commitment to addressing the needs and welfare of the Filipino youth.

Angara, whose second six-year term as senator expires in 2025, will succeed Vice President Sara Duterte for the post.

“I would like to congratulate Senator Sonny Angara, our new Department of Education Secretary! With a strong educational background and significant contributions as the Commissioner of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), his leadership promises a bright future for Philippine education,” Legarda said.

“Senator Sonny is one of the most hardworking and efficient senators our country has ever had,” she added.

The two share a common bond as they have both served as chairpersons of the important Senate Committee on Finance, which helps determine the yearly National Budget.

Both Legarda and Angara are also staunch supporters of local arts and culture, helping pass important legislation that has improved the cultural movement in the country.

They pushed for the improvement of the livelihood of many Filipinos seeking to better their lives through honest work.

Legarda expounded that her fellow lawmaker had significantly improved the state of education in the country with laws such as the Ladderized Education Act, the Open Learning and Distance Education Act, the Youth Entrepreneurship Act, among others.

“I am confident that Senator Angara will drive progress and innovation, ensuring a promising future for all Filipino students,” remarked Legarda.

“Congratulations, Senator Sonny Angara! We wish you great success in your new role.”

Above and Beyond: Samsung celebrates 25 years in the Philippines with DepEd’s Brigada Eskwela

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To celebrate 25 years of going above and beyond in inspiring generations of Filipino families, Samsung Electronics Philippines (SEPCO) recently partnered with the Department of Education (DepEd) for Brigada Eskwela 2023 to help clean and repaint classrooms in Palar Integrated School in Taguig City.

Clockwise from left: SEPCO leaders, DepEd and Palar Integrated School officials during the opening ceremonies for Brigada Eskwela; DepEd OIC – School Superintendent Dr. Cynthia Ayles welcomes SEPCO Volunteers as SEPCO President Min Su Chu and CFO Taekyun Kim look on; SEPCO volunteers help clean and repaint classroom in Palar Integrated School; More than 100 SEPCO Volunteers gather for Brigada Eskwela 2023

Brigada Eskwela is the DepEd’s program specifically aimed at preparing public schools for the upcoming school year. More than 100 SEPCO volunteers signed up to help Palar Integrated School, attended by more than 4,000 students coming from nearby communities in Taguig City. Present during the activities were DepEd OIC – Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Cynthia Ayles, Palar Integrated School Principal III Dr. Magdalena G. Centeno, and DepEd OIC for Social Mobilization Networking Desiree M. Adrigado.

SEPCO President Min Su Chu led the volunteers and expressed gratitude to DepEd and Palar Integrated School for allowing SEPCO to celebrate its 25th anniversary through Brigada Eskwela. “When we planned SEPCO’s 25th year in the Philippines, we were certain that we wanted to give back to the community that we have been part of all these years. Palar Integrated School is home to more than 4,000 students, 90 teachers and hundreds of non-teaching staff, and it is very meaningful for us to help them in this way. ” He adds, “Thank you to DepEd and Palar Integrated School for the opportunity to be of service to the children and teachers of Taguig City.“

DepEd OIC – Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Cynthia Ayles also expressed her appreciation to SEPCO and the employee volunteers. “We are grateful to SEPCO and their employee volunteers for going above and beyond for our students, teachers, and staff. Strong partnerships between the public and private sector can truly have a big impact on our mission to educate the Filipino youth, and we hope that more institutions give their time and resources for Brigada Eskwela.”

This initiative is in line with Samsung’s global CSR vision of empowering the next generation to achieve their full potential and pioneer positive social changes. People and co–prosperity are the core of Samsung’s corporate philosophy, and this is part of SEPCO’s commitment to collaborate with the government and various organisations to support education programs in the Philippines.

Palar Integrated School Principal III Magdalena G. Centeno capped off the activity highlighting the impact of SEPCO’s partnership for Brigada Eskwela. “When our students see that their classrooms were especially prepared for them when classes open, they will feel the sense of importance given to their studies. This will definitely motivate them for the coming school year, and we thank SEPCO for being with us in our mission towards quality education for all Filipino students.”