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• ASCEND

Assistance for the Comprehensive Educational Development (ASCEND) Mindanao

PREL, in partnership with the international relief organization, Save the Children; the Philippine Department of Education; and the Mindanao Business Council, provided technical assistance and training to improve access to, and the quality of, elementary education in Mindanao from 2004 to 2007. The project, called Assistance for the Comprehensive Educational Development (ASCEND) Mindanao, was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development as part of their Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQuALLS) initiative in Mindanao.

Mindanao is the southernmost island and one of three island groups in the Philippines—Luzon and the Visayas are the other two. Although rich in natural resources, Mindanao has lagged behind the rest of the country in terms of social and economic development. Eight of the Philippines’ 10 poorest provinces are located in Mindanao, and over half the population lives in dire poverty. These conditions have contributed to extremely high illiteracy and drop-out rates among Mindanao youth, leaving them vulnerable to recruitment by criminal elements and violent secessionist groups operating in the region.

As a partner in the ASCEND Mindanao project, PREL assisted with improving the teaching and learning of English, science, and mathematics in selected elementary schools in the area. The project targeted 124 elementary schools in four of the poorest municipalities in Mindanao, including Talipao, in the province of Sulu; Datu Piang, in the province of Maguindanao; Dinas, in the province of Zamboanga del Sur; and Midsayap, in the province of North Cotabato. Because of the large number of schools involved, PREL approached its task by organizing and conducting training-of-trainer (TOT) sessions for a cadre of over 100 educators from the four municipalities. These educators, in turn, echo PREL’s training to additional teachers in the municipalities. In particular, PREL’s training has focused on training trainers in an approach that promotes inquiry, interaction, and the integration of English, science, and math (ESM), using integrated investigations in their classrooms.

For further information on the Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills (EQuALLS) initiative in Mindanao, visit the Office of Education USAID/Philippines website at www.equalls.org.

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