Malayan Colleges Laguna

Strengthening Partnerships with Stakeholders: One of MCL-CSCE’s Pillars in Community Engagement

Dr. Garylen Amoroso (middle) alongside the teachers and Staffs of Dapdap Elementary School and the CSCE Team

Extension work and community engagement are two of the primary functions of the Center for Service-Learning and Community Engagement (CSCE).  External linkages and partnerships with different stakeholders strengthen CSCE’s vision to promote the spirit of volunteerism and strong commitment to service and development.

This year, CSCE is more committed to strengthening partnerships with multi-stakeholders (i.e., schools/academe, Local Government Units, Non-Government Organizations, among others) especially as the effects of the current global health crisis continue to affect every social institution. The CSCE team offers its full support to its partner schools within Laguna as Malayan Colleges Laguna, A Mapúa School (MCL) prepares for the resumption of face-to-face (F2F) classes this coming academic year.

On June 8, 2022, the CSCE team visited Dapdap Elementary School (Dapdap ES) in Tagaytay City, Cavite; Calauan Central Elementary School (CCES) in Calauan, Laguna; and Gagalot-Taytay Elementary School Annex in Majayjay, Laguna. The identified public elementary schools also have an existing Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the CSCE, which was one of the key purposes of the visit.  It also enabled the CSCE Team to identify some possible student-learning interventions, in response to the challenges faced by the students as they gradually shift to F2F classes. The team also distributed school supplies, used books, usable clothing, umbrellas, and water tumblers to the partner schools.

Ms. Jocelyn T. Bellin (Director of CSCE) as she greeted and observed the students of Dapdap Elementary School. (Photo by Reinhold Gabriel Catangay, MCL CSCE)

 

Aside from handing out donations, Ms. Bellin (CSCE Director) and Ms. Garylen Amoroso (Dapdap ES Principal) also signed the Certificate of Donation.

The visits helped the CSCE team identify pressing concerns of grade-school students as they shift from modular learning at home and back to their ‘actual’ classrooms. Most critical of these concerns is the state of their mental health where public school students do not have access to opportunities where they can learn these things from. The CSCE discussed a few possible interventions and projects with school authorities to meet these needs through student-learning and community engagement initiatives, and with the help of the MCL community.

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The CSCE team (led by Ms. Bellin) and the faculty of Calauan Central Elementary School (CCES) led by Ms. Mylene
Gutierrez (CCES Principal). (Photo by Reinhold Gabriel Catangay, MCL CSCE)

The series of visits proved beneficial to both partner schools and the CSCE with the forging of   stronger support and commitment as they face the challenges of a post-Covid pandemic scenario. With this, the CSCE team wishes to continue to foster these relationships with different communities in the hope of providing strategic interventions.