FEU High School Partners with Various Communities for its Sustainability Goals

FEU High School (FEU HS), a student-centered educational institution for Junior and Senior High School in the Philippines, officially inked its partnership between its Community Engagement and Extension Services (CEES) and its collaborating communities: World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF-Philippines), Gawad Kalinga Paradise Heights, Barangay 128, Bridge Builder Foundation Norway Inc., and Apolinario Mabini Elementary School last January 25.

The memorandum of understanding unites all partner communities for joint research, lectures, seminars, workshops, and other initiatives and programs facilitated by the CEES. This partnership aims to not only provide students with out-of-school practical experiences but also offer beneficiary communities livelihood skills, increase access to education and resources, engage in environmental stewardship, and improve community well-being.

“Our aspiration is for students to acquire knowledge outside the confines of the classroom, gain awareness of real-world issues, and learn from the experiences of the older generation so they can fortify solutions to societal problems and discover how to contribute to society in their unique ways. I express my gratitude to all our collaborative partner communities as we share one goal to help both people and the environment towards sustainability,” said FEU High School CEES Chairperson Renan Agad.

FEU High School and WWF-Philippines will champion environmental stewardship, empowering the FEU HS community as advocates for sustainability and inspiring future generations to be passionate about environmental conservation and protection. WWF-Philippines will lead focus group discussions involving all stakeholders to brainstorm and develop a module aimed at enhancing environmental awareness and stewardship skills. This will be seamlessly integrated into FEU HS’s academic curriculum or homeroom modules, ensuring that environmental education becomes a fundamental aspect of the learning experience, fostering a shared commitment to sustainability among all stakeholders.

“The approach to learning in schools has undergone a transformation, with sustainable development being integrated into the school curriculum. We are thrilled with this collaboration with FEU High School and other partner communities to achieve holistic sustainable development, inspiring and empowering the youth to contribute to the community meaningfully,” said WWF-Philippines Education for Sustainable Development Unit Head Dino Leoncarlo Calderon.

Along with Bridge Builder Foundation Norway Inc., an organization helping street children and their families, the institution will also launch The OASIS Project. This initiative is designed to enhance the holistic well-being of children, offering students a comprehensive socio-civic experience through engaging workshops, classes, and sessions in various performing arts disciplines, including writing, dancing, and acting.

Meanwhile, the institution is currently engaged with Gawad Kalinga and Brgy. 128 for two flagship programs of CEES – Project Ahon Luntiang Payaman and Project AKBAY. The former is a sustainable environmental and livelihood initiative through safe hydroponic farming, ensuring both sustainable food security and economic empowerment. The latter is an immersive experience for Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) strand students to deeply understand the various pressing social issues through exposure to real-life situations in marginalized communities and help them propose and implement suitable programs to somehow address these issues and boost their living conditions.

It also recently introduced Adopt-A-FaMEALy in Apolinario Mabini Elementary School. The program aims to promote a healthy lifestyle by collaborating with Grade 12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) strand General Biology classes the in creating and sharing nutritious meal plans and healthy recipes with selected students and families from the partner community. It will also kick-off Project TUDLO (Tamaraw United in Developing Learning Opportunities), a tutoring program in collaboration with FEU HS’s Academic Affairs Office which supports the academic development of Grade 6 public school pupils through intensive tutorial sessions in Mathematics, Science, English, and Filipino.

The partnership with various communities will further help fulfill and support CEES’s goals through its flagship programs in building and enriching a sustainable community.