Bringing the teachers to a bigger classroom

Primer Group of Companies immerses public school educators in nature

MANILA, Philippines - Imparting the significance of environmental conservation has long been acknowledged as an international advocacy. While different non-government organizations encourage every individual to play their roles to realize this cause, there’s no better influencer than educators, themselves.

Bearing that in mind, Primer Group of Companies—the company known for the retail and distribution of premium consumer brands in outdoor, urban lifestyle and travel—holds its Nature Class project which gives chosen science public school teachers a first-hand experience of the outdoor environment. As a result, these academicians will be able to relay the importance of eco-consciousness to their students.

Through Primer Group’s Center for Outdoor Recreation and Expedition (C.O.R.E.), the environment education program provides fieldwork opportunities and training from scientific experts and environmental conservationists to the privileged teachers, empowering them to teach their students how to be more appreciative of science and respectful to the balance of nature.

Since its inception in 2011, the Nature Class has immersed the educators of Manila in its activities starting with those who teach in Jose Abad Santos High School, Master Teachers of Manila Science Association, and other science department heads.

This time, C.O.R.E. is looking to target Pasay West High School with 10 Science teachers on July 25-26.

According to Kristine Villaflor, Program Manager, the program enables the teachers to give their students more animated lectures on science and raise awareness on environmental protection.

“The way to conservation starts with the teachers’ immersion in nature,” Villaflor said. “We targeted the educators as primary audiences because they are the pillars of learning in the academe, the mover of education. They are the key agents in the learning process who are responsible for imparting what they learned to their students and the rest of the school organization.”

She added, “The Nature Class facilitates the fostering of appreciation among individuals, giving them the opportunity to have a personal encounter with the environment. Coupling this with a comprehensive knowledge-sharing from experts helps make this initiative more fruitful.”

The project is divided into three different activities—Marine Reef Quest (the pilot activity for the program), Bird Quest, and Nature Tree Walks. For the Reef Quest, teachers are encouraged to go snorkeling to expose them to marine life; the birdwatching activity serves as a platform to give the educators a 360-degree view of the ecology, with emphasis on the preservation of the country’s biodiversity; and the native flora tree walk which familiarizes the teachers with the species of native plants and their botanical uses.

As the main proponent of the project, C.O.R.E. organized the overall conceptualization and implementation of the Nature Class, involving the planning, execution, and monitoring of the project components such as the timeline, budget, resources, logistics preparations, coordination and other administrative arrangements.

Likewise, Primer Group took part in funding the project’s sponsorship by distributing premium brands for equipment, tools and other support items to further this thrust. The company also tapped organizations who can send subject experts and resource speakers to the immersion.

“This year, we are looking forward to tap more teachers from the Pasay Community in the learning process,” Villaflor pointed out. “There is a need for educators to instill how their students play huge roles in preserving the environment. When this happens, these students may soon be the next leaders in maintaining nature’s beauty.”

Villaflor concluded, “For environmental protection to become a reality, we need to engage our teachers in the process, more particularly those who are teaching in public schools since they have inadequate resources. With this initiative, members of the community may not only learn to appreciate nature but take part in preserving it as well.”