MANILA, PHILIPPINES, September 26, 2018— Ninety educators and school administration staff of the Philippines Cultural College Caloocan, led by its Vice President Dr. Ester Lim, advanced the Character and Creativity Initiative (CCI) in a seminar to optimize team performance to provide students with education more relevant to the twenty-first century.
A project of Global Peace Foundation (GPF), CCI is transforming education by integrating character and creativity into all aspects of school culture towards the development of the whole person. The Character and Creativity Standards (CCS) developed in 2015, provides teachers, principals, and ministries of education with a benchmark that shows how schools compare to other schools in preparing students for future success. CCS captures the top 15 leadership competencies employers are seeking from high school and college graduates entering the workforce.
Identifying five critical standards (Purpose, Character, Creativity, Relationships, and Learning) sought out by employers today, CCI schools are more prepared to enter the workforce and building stronger family and community bonds. The Standards and Competencies broadly align with standardized frameworks that measure organizational culture, for example, in business.
CCI implementation empowers educators to build a caring and supportive environment inside the classrooms and in the entire school, thus transforming school culture into one that develops the total child.
“The saying, ‘The only constant thing in this world is change’ is such a good reason for this seminar-workshop to be held,” said one teacher. “The world is changing so fast and the kind of learners we have should be equipped with the necessary skills they will need in their future work. Thus, this transformative education [initiative] is a must in all schools to cope with 21st century education.”
The seminar provided inspiration for educators already excited to incorporate CCI into their schools and classrooms. “I learned and realized a lot of things, especially in accountability performance,” said Ms. Lizbeth Mendoza. “I’m glad to know a foundation that has the same advocacy as mine, which is to be a catalyst for change that emphasizes the soft skills needed in the actual world and in real-life scenarios.”