#savephseas

The Thresher Camp is the environmental education program of Save Philippine Seas (SPS) in Malapascua Island for 2017. It promotes marine conservation through interactive sessions and develops deep appreciation and protection for marine ecosystems in the island. 

We are looking for energetic and dynamic volunteer teachers to help promote SPS’s goals and help engage students from the local elementary and high school. It will be a 3-day summer program that will have science, art, and resource mobilization classes integrated for a fun learning experience on Day 1 and 2, and a culminating activity on Day 3.

Volunteer teachers must be available from May 24-28, 2017. May 24 and 28 are for traveling to and from Malapascua from Cebu City. 

We are looking for two (2) volunteers per topic who can teach the following to elementary and high school students, respectively. Each subject runs for 1.5-2 hours. 

SCIENCE AND NATURE SUBJECTS [ONLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER IS AVAILABLE]

✓ Marine Ecosystem 

✓ Introduction to Pollutants 

 ✓ Garbage Segregation and Proper Disposal 

 ART AND CRAFTS SUBJECTS 

✓ Origami (Marine Animals) 

✓ Recycling Crafts (Innovative Craft Making) 

RESOURCE MOBILIZATION SUBJECTS 

The resource mobilization subject aims to teach the students how to address local environmental issues using existing resources and creative means. 

✓ Stakeholder mapping 

✓ Organizational management 

✓ Basic project management and project proposal writing 

 DOCUMENTATION 

✓ One photographer – must take photos of the activities with at least 100 photos per day 

✓ One videographer – must create a 3-5 minute video of the event 

Volunteer teachers must: 

1. Submit their proposed 2-day syllabus and culminating activity to Project Coordinator Kenny Glenn Silud at kennyglennsilud[at]gmail[dot]com and to anna[at]savephilippineseas.org on or before Friday, May 5. Applicants must indicate what subject and age group they want to teach in (e.g., Science and Nature for High School).

The culminating activity will be similar to Junior Seatizens, where skills and concepts are taught through games, interactive activities, or challenges. The proposed activity must be related to their topic. 

To learn more about Junior Seatizens, please visit the online albums from 2015, 2016, and 2017. 

2. Have classroom management skills 

3. Contextualize lessons to fit the local setting (Malapascua or Cebu) 

4. Incorporate various interactive activities per session (e.g., games, fieldwork around the schools, experiments, group work) 

5. Conduct monitoring and evaluation activities to track knowledge and progress (Day 1 and 2) 

6. Assign an output (e.g., simple project, essay, etc.) 

Volunteer photographers and videographers must send in their portfolio and CV.

SPS will provide the following: 

1. Transportation to Malapascua Island from Cebu City on May 24 (land and boat transfers in the morning) 

2. Transportation to Cebu City from Malapascua Island on May 28 (land and boat transfers in the afternoon). Airfare to Mactan, Cebu will NOT be covered.

3. Modest accommodations (homestay style) and meals from May 24-28 

4. Materials required for the class (markers, cartolina, paint, paintbrushes, etc.) 

SPS is also looking for sponsors to support the event. 

Should you have questions or suggestions, feel free to contact Kenny, Project Manager for the Thresher Camp.

A letter goes a long way 💯

In August, we were informed that the municipality of Argao, Cebu planned to release floating and flying lanterns as part of its fiesta on September 29. We wrote to Mayor Stanley Caminero about the activity's possible negative environmental impacts, and sent him a copy of our infographic on sky lantern and balloon releases entitled Defying Gravity. Within a week, Mayor Caminero responded to say they would no longer pursue the activity 🐢🐬

Know of a similar situation? Stop global whining and reach out to your local leaders too.

The first run of A-B-Seas brought together six children 10 to 12 years old for a weekend of learning and exploring! They learned about tropical marine habitats and the Philippine environment, visited a mangrove nursery, snorkeled, kayaked, and conducted a seagrass transect. We believe that no one is ever too young to learn how to save the Philippine seas! 

For more photos, click here.

Hanapbuhay means "job," but its rough literal translation is "to look for life." It is one of my favorite Filipino words.

It is the 6th anniversary of Save Philippine Seas. I have learned that the quote "choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life" is one of the biggest lies perpetuated by Thought Catalog and social media. The truth is, the issues of our seas can be overwhelming. Fundraising is exhausting. Dealing with apathy and mediocrity daily dulls my optimism. And passion without action is overrated and unsustainable. There are long hours and heartbreaks and setbacks.