“It is our conviction at GBF that it is through STEM education that we can truly build a new breed of workforce that will bring our country the progress that it deserves, for generations more to come.” Grace Colet, GBF Executive Director
KaSaMa Teachers Community, the largest community of K-12 Science and Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teachers in the country, opened the doors of its new online home at the NING platform last Friday, March 25 via Facebook Live. Together with the GBF and UP NISMED, the KaSaMa Teachers welcomed 357 new members to the community to their new website dubbed as KTC 3.0.?
In 2011, UP NISMED formed the KaScience at KaMathematics (KaSaMa) Teachers Community in view of connecting and engaging discussion, collaboration, and innovation Filipino STEM educators. Through the community’s activities and online platforms, KTC has been able to help address K-12 STEM teachers’ growing demand for quality learning and teaching materials, training for professional development, and productive STEM trends dialogues.?
In 2019, GBF signed an agreement with UP NISMED to help support the community, recognizing its role in providing much-needed resource and training for STEM teachers in the country. The KaSaMa Teachers Community was able to grow to 6,493 members in its previous home, the kasamateachers.ph. It also generated 35,000 followers in Facebook and 15,491 webinar views. Around 465 resources for teachers were uploaded, which were downloaded 5,461 times.
This year, GBF and UP NISMED renewed their partnership, strengthening the foundation of the community in a new home online—at NING.
Dr. Sheryl Lyn Monterola, Director of UP NISMED, mentioned in her welcome remarks that launching the new and improved KTC 3.0 “implies our (community’s) growth and that we are not afraid to go back to the drawing table and redesign it as necessary to offer better service.” She also emphasized the importance of professional learning centers (PLCs) such as the KaSaMa Teachers Community, to the development of our educators.?
KTC 3.0, as a fast-growing PLCs in the country for STEM teachers, will cater to more KaScience and KaMathematics who can exclusively access relevant STEM resources from experts in the field, share inspiring stories, discuss latest education and STEM developments here and abroad, and sign up to different webinars and training programs that will help improve their knowledge, skills, and practices in teaching STEM K-12 students.?
In support of this, GBF believes in the pivotal role of educators on the outcomes and development of our learners—our future leaders that we hope to be STEM champions and professionals; thus, making the engagement with UP NISMED and KTC, vital to the achievement of GBF’s goal to impact 10,000 educators and 1,000,000 learners by 2025.?
Ms. Grace Colet, Executive Director of GBF, highlighted in her speech how the capacitating of teachers add value to their work and help build our leaders for sustainable national development.
In line with the Gokongwei Brothers John, Johnson, Henry and James’ vision when they established the Foundation, Ms. Colet said, “It is our conviction at GBF that it is through STEM education that we can truly build a new breed of workforce that will bring our country the progress that it deserves, for generations more to come.”?
With the launching of KTC 3.0, the KaSaMa Teachers Community, invites new and old KaScience and KaMathematics educators to the new NING platform.?
Some members of the community who attested to the benefits of being part of the KaSaMa were Ms. Ivy Jan Simbala, Vice Principal of the Philippine School (Bahrain) and a member of the Kabayanihan Core Team, Mr. Raquim Capoy II, Pre-Service Teacher of the Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology, and Mr. Joven Murias, Master Teacher II at the Anini-y Central School. Together with Ms. Celia Balbin, Project Leader of the KaSaMa Teachers Community and its core team, GBF and UP NISMED enjoin all K-12 STEM teachers in the Philippines to move with us to KTC 3.0.?
Signing up is easy yet lots are in store for members of the community. Know more about how to sign up through this Facebook post, and sign up now through this link.