KIMBERLY HUTCHINSONCITY SOCIAL WELFARE AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE,

LGUSAN CARLOS CITY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL

2013-2015

PEACE CORPS PORTFOLIO

Kimberly Hutchinson – Batch 272 CYF

Site Placement Background

Kimberly Hutchinson was assigned to the local government unit of San Carlos City in the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWD) as a volunteer in the Mobile Education for Street Children Program. San Carlos is a city in Negros Occidental, one of two provinces located on the island of Negros, situated in the Visayas Region. The San Carlos CSWD began its Mobile Education Project in 2010 as a way of promoting accessible education in an informal setting to children who do not have the opportunity to attend school. The purpose of the program is to expose children to formal educational concepts in a non-formal setting to introduce and encourage learning. The goal is for this population to gain a rudimentary educational foundation formerly never predisposed to, and with this knowledge have the confidence to enroll and be successful in formal schooling. The participants range in ages 5-14 and the program reaches out to anywhere between 50-100 children.

Kimberly’s responsibilities at the CSWD were to organize and teach the street children on formal learning concepts extending but not limited to ABC’s, math, English, and reading. She introduced life skills, assisted in activity development and implementation, identified donors for feeding programs, and organized and trained youth volunteers to participate in the mobile education classes.

Mobile Education for Street Children

PCV Activities and Accomplishments

Provided daily informal educational instruction for street children introducing rudimentary education concepts to encourage school enrollment

Initiated a livelihood program for identified mother’s of selected street children, complementing the livelihood assistance with an entrepreneur seminar

Co-facilitated life skills for the street children, girls at Balay sa Nazareth Center Home for Girls, and youth volunteers

Co-facilitated advocacy sessions for two ABK3 youth camps Coached a U13 boys soccer team in 2013 Organized and trained youth volunteers and CSWD staff on the

management of the mobile education program Participated as a member of the Barangay Council for the Protection of

Children Received a grant to acquire equipment and material for the San Carlos

City Learning Center Co-developed learning center activity schedule, rules and policies

Livelihood Assistance and Entrepreneurship with the mother’s of the mobile education students

Mobile Education in Action

Training of Youth Trainers

TOT in ACTION

Youth volunteers teaching mobile education participants Peace Corps Volunteer Kim

Hutchinson training youth volunteers on teaching techniques

Outputs

8 street children enrolled and began formal schooling in grade levels ranging from kindergarten to grade 7

2 mobile street education participants received honor awards during the 2014-2015 academic school year

22 mothers completed training and gained their certification as manicure/pedicurists for an alternative livelihood

41 youth participated in a training of trainers for the management of mobile education, and 24 youth are active volunteer helpers in the mobile education for street children program

8 City Social Welfare and Development workers were trained in project management, and the 8 developed and implemented a vision, mission, and goals for the mobile education project for 2015

46 children participated in life skills activities topics covering health and hygiene, bullying and teamwork

$2,434 USD were allotted through the Small Project Assistance grant to purchase learning equipment and materials for the San Carlos City Learning Center

Secondary Project

The Grassroots Participatory Budgeting Fund enabled the San Carlos City Social Welfare and Development Office to identify and develop a project to construct a learning center, specifically catering to children in conflict with the law, children at risk and children with disadvantaged families. The funds covered the construction and maintenance of the building, however it did not extend to the materials and equipment to be placed inside, the fundamental elements for capacity building amongst its users. In coordination with her supervisor, CSWD staff and selected street children, Kimberly identified equipment and material that would enable the center to meet its purpose as a place where children will have access to learn, grow, and play.

As a part of the learning center development, Kimberly and her counterpart identified youth volunteers committed to dedicating their time and energy to work with the street children by participating in a three day training of trainers camp where they learned and later implemented methods and skills to work with the children. To supplement the training of youth trainers Kimberly, in working relation with her counterpart, conducted a two day training with City Social Welfare and Development staff appointed to the mobile education program on project management for the learning center.

Learning Center

Learning Center: July 2015

Small Project Assistance (SPA) Grant: 107,100 php

Two Computer Servers

4 Guitars 1 Keyboard Player 1 Speaker

Table games, Books, Hoola Hoops, Sporting Balls, Printer, Whiteboard

Project Proposals

Training of trainers youth camp Child Fund: 60,000phpLearning center Small Project Assistance (SPA) Grant :

107,000php In-kind donations: Books for peace, manicure/pedicure

sets, feeding programs

Nail Polish Sets

Child Fund ABK3 Leap