There’s a greater challenge now for students in the National Service Training Program to engage in community service projects where the threats of COVID19 continually limits mobility and in-person interaction. This does not mean though that they will not be able to exercise their goal to do something for their communities but rather an opportunity for the them to engage the world in a different way, perhaps more relevant to the conditions of today and forward looking into a future where technology plays a vital role in our way of life.
The objective is for students to implement community initiatives utilizing resources available to them at home and deliver them using ICT tools and social media platforms. To prime the students for this challenge, the faculty of the National Service Training Program implements a series of learning modules designed to provide students with foundations on community organizing for community development and the methodologies that they can use to plan and engage their communities.
Within these learning modules are inputs from community development experts and experienced youth volunteers delivered through webinars.
On October 16, 2021, there will be a virtual symposium on the “What, Why, and How of Community Organizing”. This will be streamed live via La Consolacion College Bacolod’s official Facebook page, @lccb1919, although students are encouraged to actively participate in the symposium via Google Meet. The event will start at 8:00 in the morning and is expected to end at 12:00 in the afternoon.
Among the speakers include a former development worker and now Dean of the College of Agriculture and Fisheries of Capiz State University – Pontevedra Campus, Dr. Rey Dela Calzada. He specializes in aquaculture technologies used in alternative livelihoods for small scale fisherfolk organizations.
From the youth sector, Cheska Dusaban, a Senior High School alumna and currently a BS Community Development student in UP Diliman will speak about her field work experiences and student organization network.
Sr. Joan BC S. Infante, OSA, VPAA, challenged the faculty to bring out the best among the students by inspiring their creative imaginations and guiding them through the process of planning and implementation of innovative community projects at this time of COVID19 pandemic.
Cresilda Amerila, NSTP Coordinator, said that the first 235 students who will make it to the main room of the symposium and those who will actively participate in the livestream will be incentivized by their respective NSTP advisers. She said that they are keen on observing individual student participation in all learning activities to ensure that they are able to maximize the benefits and achieve the learning goals of the NSTP.