Isla Biodiversity Conservation, Inc.

Isla Biodiversity Conservation, in collaboration with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Philippines and the Center for Environmental Awareness and Education (CEAE) has carried out a teacher training workshop on March 4-5, 2007 at the Camiguin Elementary School in Brgy. Balatubat, Camiguin Island, Calayan, Cagayan. The training activity was aimed at encouraging educators in the island to take an environmental approach to teaching and providing them with activities and materials that can be easily used in the classroom.

A total of 14 elementary and 8 high school teachers from all six schools on the island (Camiguin Elementary School, Cadadalman Elementary School, Minabel Elementary School, Morol Elementary School, Calayan High School-Camiguin Annex and the Lyceum of Camiguin) participated in the training activity.

"The seminar gave me added knowledge, especially about caring or giving importance to nature," says Zaira Gonzales, a Grade 1 teacher from Morol Elementary School. Several other teachers were pleased with the seminar and hoped that there would be similar seminars in the future.

The training program included two internationally-reknowned environmental education modules: Project Learning Tree (PLT) and Project Water Education for Teachers (WET). Teachers received training certificates and books that contain almost 200 activities that they can use in their classrooms for various subjects. A teaching aid kit was also provided to each school.

A similar training workshop was conducted on Calayan Island in May 2006. Mr. Jojo Castillejos, a teacher from Calayan High School-Camiguin Annex and one of the several teachers who were trained to be PLT and Project WET facilitators in that year, helped as a facilitator in this year's workshop activity.