Beyond mining: Orica Phils. empowers local education
ALEADING mining and infrastructure solutions provider, Orica Philippines has pledged its continued commitment to investing in initiatives from early childhood education to promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as efforts designed to create a smarter and sustainable future in the Philippines.
Keeping its commitment to support its local partner-communities and nurture the next generation of innovators, Orica Philippines’ programs are paving the way for education empowerment, it said in a statement.
One such initiative is a new, free method of teaching mathematics for early childhood educators. “Let’s Count” is an early mathematics program to help develop the math skills of children ages 3 to 5. Headed by The Smith Family, Australia’s leading education charity, the program was able to reach and support 25 educators from 14 local kindergartens.
Since 2009, the firm’s Science and Technology Education Leveraging Relevance initiative has been helping students be more engaged in STEM. Also, the STELR workshops featuring direct renewable models have helped engage learners as the program reaches over 35,000 students annually across Asia-pacific.
“Beyond educational support, Orica Philippines also assists our local partner-communities through the improvement of educational facilities such as the development of the science classroom at the Carbon Elementary School in Limay, Bataan. Orica Philippines also provides equipment that improves the educational experience of disabled children at Limay Central Elementary School,” said Gordon Wallace who is the firm’s country head. “With the mission to improve access to [learning in the country, we also link-up] with the Department of Education to support the country’s goals of uplifting students in communities where access is a challenge.”
Recently, the solutions provider inked a memorandum of agreement with the University of the Philippines’s (UP) Mining, Metallurgical, and Materials Engineering Department. The partnership encourages future mining industry leaders to innovate more sustainable solutions and create positive impact for the planet.
“Future professionals have the potential to innovate in the industries they become a part of after they finish their education. Our partnerships with educational institutions such as [UP] signal our belief in the youth as catalysts for positive change,” added Wallace.
Orica Philippines remains focused in supporting the education sector to ensure that future innovators—from early to higher education—play a pivotal role in creating a more responsible and sustainable mining industry in the Philippines.