ATC’s Capacity Building Program for school counselors and teacher designates of DepEd Marikina City draws to a close

48 school counselors and teacher designates from Department of Education (DepEd) schools in Marikina City received their certificates of completion during the April 13 closing ceremony of the Capacity Building Program for School Counselors and Teacher Designates. The course was specially designed by the Ateneo Teacher Center (ATC)  for the specific school guidance and counseling needs of the students of Marikina. 

A team of professional guidance counselors from the Ateneo de Manila University (Junior and Senior High Schools) lent their time and expertise in training the 50 participants over the course of four months. The training team was led by GBSEALD Faculty Dr. Pinky Escarez, course designer and main facilitator. Together with fellow main facilitator and GBSEALD Faculty Mrs Tes Veloso and co-facilitators from the basic education guidance and counseling teams – Mr Carlo Carlon, Ms Rani Castillo, Mr Jhun Itoralba, and Mrs Polly Pelayo – the team conducted four interactive whole-day Saturday workshops in Areté and several online Friday evening classes for lessons and cliniquing sessions from January to April of 2024.

The closing ceremony took place at the Learning Design Hive of the Areté which became home to the 50 trainees on those Saturday workshops. In her message to the participants, Mrs Leilani Villanueva, Marikina City’s Schools Division Office Supervisor for Education Program, reminded them to “always remember that [the] certificate symbolizes [their] strong desire to help [their] learners in Marikina public schools.” While the training program completers are not yet licensed or registered Guidance Counselors, we are all confident that participants will be able to perform their new responsibilities in implementing the guidance program of their respective schools. The hope is that this capacity building effort will alleviate the dearth in professional guidance counselors in public schools. Mrs Villanueva added that their certificates of completion mean “HOPE for our learners because [they] have now the competence, character, and confidence to guide, inspire, and make a positive impact on the lives of [their] learners in the public schools of Marikina.”

In her address, Mrs Rita Atienza, ATC Director, reminded the successful trainees to practice self-care and support one another because the task given to them was not an easy one. 

It is heartening to note that even before the course ended, some of the trainees have already initiated echo seminars for their schools’ teachers and parents, especially on their advocacy for mental health education. 

ATC is happy about this collaboration with Marikina DepEd as it aligns with the ATC’s efforts to develop teacher leaders who become influencers in their schools. The program is a realization of ATC’s mission to provide professional learning that is (a) sustained, (b) focused on important content, and (c) embedded in the school setting. ATC is grateful for the immense trust shown by DepEd Marikina and for the excellent assistance of GBSEALD’s technical and logistical support teams in this project.