NEWSLETTER AMERICAN SPACES PHILIPPINES
HIGHLIGHTS
APRIL 2017
COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM @ AC DAVAO As a part of AC Davao’s Go Green! Initiative Program on Nursery Development and Community Tree-Growing, the AC conducted a Community Environmental Forum for local settlers, women, children and officials. Ms. Rai Gomez, Education Administrator of the Philippine Eagle Foundation, gave remarks. The forum included a hands-on activity on seedling propagation and seedling planting of fruit bearing trees.
FAITH GARDENING @ AC ZAMBOANGA Educators and environmental advocates from Ateneo de Zamboanga University conducted a two-day environmental workshop entitled “FAITH (Food Always In the Home) Gardening” with 30 high school students. This two-day workshop introduced grassroots environmental stewardship ideas, such as community gardening and advocacy methods.
MOVIE MARATHON ON WORLD WATER DAY @ AC BAGUIO In celebration of World Water Day on March 22, AC Baguio conducted a movie marathon showing films highlighting the importance of sustainable management of freshwater to 375 students and faculty from the university’s School of Natural Sciences.
#USEMBTALKS “START A NEW VENTURE: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE LEAN STRATUP METHOD” On March 22, the TJIC and AC Baguio hosted a U.S. Embassy Talks session entitled “Start a New Venture: The Fundamentals of the Lean StartUp Method.” Dr. Ted Ladd, a Fulbright Philippines - SyCip Distinguished Lecturer and Professor from Hult International Business School, engaged in an in-depth discussion with young entrepreneurs and business students in Baguio City via Digital Video Conferencing (DVC).
#USEMBTALKS “ACHIEVING SUCCESS IN THE WORKPLACE” On March 24, the TJIC hosted a session on “Achieving Success in the Workplace" featuring U.S. Embassy Management Counselor Joni Scandola. Eighty-five Business and Management students professors, and administrators from several Metro Manila universities learned some useful tips on how to be effective and successful leaders and team members in their respective organizations and work settings.
BIODIVERSITY TALK @AC ILOILO On March 24, AC Iloilo partnered with Haribon Foundation to conduct a talk about biodiversity conservation to 150 high school students. The highlight of the activity was when the students shared their commitment pledges to mother earth.
LECTURE ON D.I.Y. CONTAINER GARDENING @ AC CEBU On March 27, AC Cebu conducted a “Do-It-Yourself Container Gardening” training for fifty mothers from Janssen Village about organic gardening and vegetable cultivations. Janssen Village is a rehousing project in Mactan Cebu for less privileged families that was adopted by the University of San Carlos.
EMBASSY PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS English Language Programs The U.S. Department of State offers several English language programs, resources, and opportunities that are available to promote English language learning and improve the quality of English language proficiency and teaching in the Philippines. The American English website (www.AmericanEnglish.state.gov) has a wealth of English language materials and resources, developed and produced by the Office of English Language Programs in Washington, DC, for both teachers and students. E&E (English and Education) Wednesday workshops are held on selected Wednesday afternoons at the U.S. Embassy or other venues such as the American Spaces. Workshops are facilitated by the English Language Fellows and/or English language program alumni.
Read-a-Book, Learn-a-Word Program is for elementary school students to make reading books a habit and to learn a new English word every day. The following are the English Language programs that the American Spaces can host, support, and promote: • The English Access Microscholarship Program provides a foundation of English language skills to bright, economically disadvantaged 13- to 20-year-olds through twoyear programs of after-school classes and intensive summer learning activities. • The English Language Fellows are talented, highly qualified U.S. educators in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) who are here on ten-month assignments to academic institutions. • The English Language Specialists are U.S. academics and professionals in the fields of TESOL or Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) who are here from two weeks to five months to do teacher training programs, materials writing, and curriculum development. • The American English E-Teacher Program offers online courses from U.S. experts in the most recent English language teaching methods and techniques to English language teachers, teacher trainers, and administrators of English language program who are willing to share their learnings from the course with their colleagues. • The American English Webinar Series is a six-session, 60-minute online professional development course held every other Wednesday (8:00 pm, Wednesday or 1:00 am, Thursday, Philippine time) for English teachers or teacher trainers around the world. Participants who attend four of the six webinars receive e-certificates. • The American English Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are online courses for English teachers and learners produced by the U.S. State Department, in partnership with the course providers in the U.S. For more information on the U.S. Embassy’s English language programs, please send your queries to MNLEnglishLangProg@state.gov
ANNOUNCEMENTS AC DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS: We’re excited to our first Connecting Corner which will be on April 24 with topic about “Wildlife Conservation.” Host Corners: Davao, Tawi Tawi and Dumaguete Audience Corner: CDO, Batac, Bacolod American Spaces Philippines / Public Affairs Section / U.S. Embassy in the Philippines americanspacesph@state.gov