Hands On Schools- Galing Mo Kid Culmination 2010

Heroes of the Environment, Entrepreneurs, and Community Leaders. These are our Hands On Schools- Galing Mo Kid students. After 3 years in the Hands On Schools-Galing Mo Kid (HOS-GMK) program, the students are now heroes, entrepreneurs, and community leaders in their own little ways.

Three years ago, Hands On Manila (HOM) selected thirty (30) high-achiever students in three public schools: Nueve de Febrero Elementary School, Plainview Elementary School, and Pembo Elementary school. These students were the first batch of HOS-GMK students. For three (3) years, they have attended special classes every Saturday with their volunteer-mentors to learn about how they can become heroes of the environment, how to put up and run their own small businesses, and organize and implement their own community projects.

Armed with more knowledge and experiences, HOM hopes that as the first batch of graduates step into highschool, they will continue to inspire others to become heroes too in their own little ways.

Our first batch of graduates from Pembo Elementary School

Grade 5 students of Plainview Elementary School

with HOM Executive Director, Helen Orande and

Willie Mercado, HOM Consultant

Hands On Manila would like to thank all the sponsors who unselfishly shared their wealth to these students, to the volunteer-mentors for their untiring efforts and dedication to mentor the students, to the parents who have been really supportive, to the principals who welcomed HOM with open arms, to the teachers who guided the students, and to all the other volunteers who willingly shared their talents, time, and treasure to our students. Thank you all for making the first three years of the program a success!

The very dedicated mentors with former HOM Board of Trustees,

Gianna Montinola and Dr. Rene Gayo, and HOM volunteer Rhea Schmid

Grade 4 students of Nueve de Febrero

Parents of our Galing Mo Kid students with HOM Board of Trustees

Galing Mo Kids Celebrate

In celebration of Earth Day, Manila Ocean Park together with Museo Pambata, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines organized an Earth Day project dubbed as UnEarth. The 3-day project was packed with various activities which include coastal cleanup, creative workshops, lecture-demonstrations, exhibitions and showcases. All the activities were aimed to promote care for the environment and encourage action towards saving the Earth. It also aims to encourage the public by using art to express, inspire and communicate environmental advocacies and actions.

Hands On Schools- Galing Mo Kid students from Nueve de Febrero Elementary School and Plainview Elementary School joined the celebration on the third day. Students learned about the decomposition rate of various trash, and why it is important to practice the 3Rs– Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. After the short talk by Des Llano, the students participated in an art workshop using recycled materials. The students were treated afterwards to a tour inside Ocean Park, and to the newly-opened Zoocology inside the park.

2010 Culmination Activity

Wellness Session

Last Saturday, March 13, 2010, the Grade 6 students of Nueve de Febrero Elementary School held the first session of their project Kids for Good Health, Good Life. The project Kids for Good Health, Good Life, was conceptualized by the students due to the growing health and malnutrition problem they have observed in their community.

With the help of the principal of Nueve de Febrero Elementary School, Mrs. Emma Arrubio the students identified Grade 1 students who are under weight to participate in the Wellness Session. Guest speakers were invited to grace the event. Ms. Che de Vega, spoke about the importance of eating healthy, and encouraged the students of practicing the habit of washing their hands before they eat through a short cartoon video. Dra. Nina Gloriani followed with a very informative sharing about how to protect one self from viruses and other diseases. She finished her session with the story she wrote about Paolo and his Polio.

After the informative sharing of the speakers, the students prepared a yummy and healthy arroz caldo, and milk for the students. The Grade 6 students also prepared some games to test what they have learned from the sessions, and gave away treats to the students.

Hands On Manila would like to thank the Unilever for donating toiletries that were given to the students after the session. Thank you also for the very supportive principal and teachers of Nueve de Febrero, and to all the mentors who made this project possible. MARAMING SALAMAT!

Pembo GMK students Meet Bloggers

Reblogged from Mentor, Therese Panganiban.

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and expertise to our

Galing Mo Kid! students.

To get the kids started on their planned blog that plans to give their fellow kids in Pembo a voice on community issues, as well as share with them the positive insights learned from Hands On Manila's Galing Mo Kid Program, we got some bloggers to tutor them on the basics of this media. Mr. Juned Sonido, Mr. Arpee Lazaro, and Ms. Jane Chua kindly allocated one Saturday morning for us. Starbucks, via CSR Manager Zarah Perez, with the help of Leizl Ebdane, generously hosted the session.

source: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=12607&id=100000291309460

Alika-Book Club

The Alika-Book Club was conceptualized by Maica Aquino, Sharlyn Bulquerin, Joseph Calambro, DJ Candino, Rose Nicolin Dayao, Khen Khen Gaviola, Lordeen Lagrimas, Joanna Marie Raposon, and Adianna Joy Maomay with the help of their mentors, Belle Pilapil, Cecile Ventura, Zarin Ybanez, Leo Cabasag, Soc Diesta, Queenie Sullano, and Martin Reyes.

The project is their final output for the HOS-GMK! Module on Leadership and Community Service. For the past months since July 2009, the students have been learning about qualities and characteristics of a good and effective leader, and the characteristics of a good and sustainable community project.

The students have identified the need to encourage more students at Plainview Elementary School to read. One of the factors they have identified is the lack of reading materials in their school, and an inviting place for students to borrow and read books. Hence, the students decided to organize a book drive to add to the limited collection of books they have at school. The students were able to solicit story books, children’s novels, and reference books.

The Alika-Book Club will be the graduating gift of the Grade 6 students to the school, which will be turned over to the Grade 5 HOS-GMK! students as they take on another journey is secondary school.

Alika-Book Club was formally launched last March 6, 2010 at Plainview Elementary School. Guest speakers from Caring Children, Cris "Kesz, Valdez and Harnin "KB" Manalaysay gave an inspirational talk on unleashing the heroes within us.

The event was graced by the school prinicipal, Mr. Romeo Bandal. Fellow students and parents also attended the event, who signed up as members of the club after the program.

Thank you to all the donors who donated books for the Alika-Book Club! :)

Mentoring Sessions at Plainview

Few more weeks before the Year 3 of GMK ends.

Cha Panelo of Starbucks, reviewing the Grade 5 students on the lesson about financial plan

Reading the Tale of the Crow

Writing their own short stories