SDECE holds Service-Learning Summit in Ateneo

A Service-Learning (SL) Summit organized by the Office of the Assistant Vice President for Social Development, Environment, and Community Engagement (OAVP-SDECE) was held last August 1, 2023 at the Faura AVR. Among those in attendance were faculty members and formators from the Office for Social Concern and Involvement.

The summit provided SL practitioners and enthusiasts from the Ateneo community an opportunity to come together and share their thoughts, insights, and experiences with one another, ultimately contributing to the promotion and development of the practice of Service-Learning in the University.

The gathering also served as an avenue to introduce the newly formed Ateneo Service-Learning Program Management Team composed of Dr. Mark Anthony D. Abenir, Program Manager for Service-Learning; Atty. Sabrina Kate D. Paner-Montiel,  Assistant Program Manager for Service-Learning; and Dr. Genejane M. Adarlo, Coordinator for Service-Learning Research.

The morning portion of the workshop focused on exploring ways by which the impact of Service-Learning for Ateneo’s partner institutions and communities could be enhanced. During this opening segment, Dr. Mark Abenir presented some findings on the impact of SocSc 13 and the NSTP 12- Bigkis Program on Ateneo’s partner institutions and communities.

This was followed by lively discussions among the participants as they gave their initial thoughts and reactions to Dr. Abenir’s presentation. They also shared ideas and suggestions on how to possibly enhance the impact of Service-Learning for partner communities, and expressed the kind of support they need in order to improve the practice of Service-Learning as a whole. The open forum that followed was facilitated by Dr. Leland Joseph R. Dela Cruz, the Assistant Vice President for Social Development, Environment, and Community Engagement.

A portion of the summit was also dedicated to presenting some proposed changes and developments to the Faculty Service-Learning Load Application process, recognizing past challenges and exploring ways to improve the whole application experience for faculty members.

During the afternoon session of the summit, the discussions shifted towards ways by which one’s Service-Learning experiences could be translated into publishable research. As a faculty member who has published on Service-Learning numerous times, Dr. Genejane Adarlo, SL Research Coordinator, talked about her own experiences and encouraged fellow faculty to try to write about their own SL experiences.

The Service-Learning Summit was a simple yet meaningful and productive gathering which allowed SL advocates and champions from within the Ateneo community to meet, form connections, and collectively explore how service-learning in the University can further be developed and improved. With such a passionate and dedicated cohort of faculty and formators involved in Service-Learning, one can truly envision brighter and better things ahead.

Photos courtesy of the OAVP-SDECE