Partnership of Coca-cola and Teach for the Philippines: Helping students become environmental stewards
By Mathew Joseph Sera Jose
The COVID-19 pandemic has not only heightened the socioeconomic restrictions, educational risks and health concerns but has placed much emphasis on the ongoing waste management program as well. Coca-Cola Philippines, by aid of its social investment arm, is partnering with Teach for the Philippines (TFP) in a program that encourages and educates teachers, students, and families to become responsible environmental stewards, last 2021.
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“The saying, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ extends to children’s behavior towards their surroundings and communities. Our foundation recognizes the importance of collaborative efforts in forming young citizens committed to caring for the environment,” reported Cecile Alcantara, President of Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines. “In 2019, we supported the roll-out of TFP’s Batang Bayani Environmental Education modules to hundreds of students. When face-to-face classes halted during the pandemic, we supported the adaptation of these modules to fit flexible learning delivery options in order to reach more students and communities.”
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To enrich these aims even further, Coca-Cola supports the migration of its three modules on Environmental Education to various alternative delivery modes. These involve Chat-and-SMS-based discussion guides, self-learning modules and session worksheets, and video-based instructional guides for online broadcast.
During the S.Y. 2019-2020, the learning modules developed by TFP, resolved under its Batang Bayani Program, were used to educate approximately 520 students and 52 parents. Responsible stewardship in terms of recycling and segregation was taught through distance and flexible modes. Initial estimates for reaching their target audience exceeded their expectations of 600 public school students adn 100 public school teachers and parents to 1,720 students and 291 parents.
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TFP Program & Training Director, Ginny Villa-Real claims that “With Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines’ partnership, we have been able to continue adapting and supporting learning amid the pandemic. Now more than ever, we find it important to continue empowering children and the communities around them to become responsible environmental stewards.”
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Beyond migrating the modules to other learning delivery modes, the partnership also included an awareness campaign on social media which reached more than 100,000 Filipinos online.
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Let us continue to be advocates for children’s rights, especially with that of the right to a peaceful environment. Like Coca-Cola and their company, we must attend to our natural limitations, our prospects towards a better world, and stewards for a cleaner, greener future.
REFERENCES:
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Coca-Cola. (2021, July 13). Cola and teach for the Philippines partner to help students become environmental stewards - Coca-Cola Foundation PH. Coca. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from http://www.coca-colafoundation.ph/2021/07/13/coca-cola-and-teach-for-the-philippines-partner-to-help-students-become-environmental-stewards/
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Schelzig, K. (2022, February 4). 47261-001: Teach for the Philippines. Asian Development Bank. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://www.adb.org/projects/47261-001/main
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Ωκα, Τ. (2016, November 4). Red Going Green: Coca-Cola's environmental initiatives. Technology and Operations Management. Retrieved March 3, 2022, from https://digital.hbs.edu/platform-rctom/submission/red-going-green-coca-colas-environmental-initiatives/#:~:text=Coca%2DCola%20responded%20to%20the,bottles%20for%20their%20soda%20products.