Education & Internship Programs
Educational Sponsorship
In the Philippine culture, the higher the educational attainment, the higher the likelihood of landing a decent-paying job. One of the sad realities faced by Filipinos is that no matter how skilled or experienced a person who did not finish one’s studies is, another unskilled or unexperienced person with a high school or college degree will get the job. Due to poverty, most underprivileged families can only afford to send to school one of many siblings, whom the family will most likely rely on in the future after graduating.
For a monthly pledge of only 40 US$ for elementary students, 45 US$ for junior high school students, and 50 US$ for senior high school students, sponsored children will receive educational materials, uniforms, books, as well as daily lunch and snacks. By sponsoring education for one or more children, you help build independent and educated individuals with a bright future, as well as pave the way for more families to be brought out of poverty.
Category 1 Kindergarten (ages 4-6 years old)
Category 2 Primary School: 6 years from Grade 1 to Grade 6 (ages 7-12 years old)
Category 3 Junior High: 4 years from Grade 7 to Grade 10 (ages 13-16 years old)
Category 4 Senior High: 2 years from Grade 11 to Grade 12 (ages 17-18 years old)
To this day, over 140 children are being sponsored for their elementary and high school education. Some generous sponsors continue to provide financial assistance so students can proceed to vocational schools and colleges after graduating from high school. On behalf of the families of these children, we would like to express our gratitude to each of the sponsors who make it possible for the children to receive a proper education. Thank you very much!
INQUIRE here.
Alternative Learning System
The Rise Above Community Center is located in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, where past statistics showed that 60% of the residents from its slum areas are unemployed, 50% of the population below the poverty line are between 0 to 19 years of age, and 40% of these underprivileged youth have dropped out of elementary or high school. To help improve the quality of life for these people, we are running the Alternative Learning System (ALS) program which have given free education to more or less 40 out-of-school youth and young adults annually. This program prepares individuals for a placement exam which assesses the academic level that corresponds to their current knowledge and skills, and determines the Grade level they are qualified to enroll in for the next school year in order to complete their education and receive a diploma. This increases their likelihood of getting a higher-paying job should they decide to work and makes it possible for them to pursue vocational training or college education.
Internship Program
Living in the Philippines, one can never close one’s eyes to the hardships people face on a daily basis. Most children living in social institutions in Cebu come from poverty-stricken families who are forced to give up their children simply because they are too poor to feed them. Some are abused, abandoned, or live on the streets, and have been fortunate enough to be taken in by one of the many institutions that cater to these children. Most of the institutions we work with, whether private or government-run, exist and get by on a very low and tight budget, leaving them very little room to hire well-trained staff and manpower. The foreign interns and volunteers help fill the gap for needed personnel and are received with appreciation, making it possible for these institutions to better care for and attend to the needs of the children.
Annually, Rise Above receives around 80 university/college student interns in Cebu as part of their education and arrange for them to be placed in 20 different institutions, including schools, hospitals, and social centers we work closely with. Most students who spend an internship period of 1 to 6 months have educational backgrounds in Pedagogy, Education, Nursing, Global Health & Nutrition, Social Work, and other courses related to health, social and behavioral sciences, and community development. Other students who wish to volunteer or apply for an internship are received at the Rise Above Community Center, Family Care Center, or Office.
INQUIRE here.