Through the whirlwind that the current circumstances have brought about, there has been the ever-lasting search for new beginnings as an opportunity to look forward to what the future holds for us, and Sprout 2021 has provided us with the opportunity to do so! Held last April 26-30, Sprout 2021 has opened the opportunity for SPEED members and non-members alike to take part in the project’s goal in making therapy for the special needs sector more accessible, especially in our current situation right now. With the tagline “Taking a Leap Forward”, the project’s goal was to persevere and push the access to therapy forward, despite all the limitations that the online setup has brought about in the past year. Moreover, it seeks to spread the importance of therapy to the sector, as it is a vital tool in understanding and helping the sector even more. The event was then capped off with the talk held live on the Ateneo Special Education Society’s official Facebook page titled “Navigating Online Special Education”, which centered on how students and parents alike can navigate the online setup. With these in mind, let’s have a closer look at what Sprout 2021 has done!
Sprout 2021, in partnership with ALRES PH, was able to provide the students of Barangka Elementary School with free therapy sessions last April 26-30 with the help of their therapists who conducted the sessions. The students and parents who received the therapy sessions were also given modules that they could use as a guideline for after the event was over. After the event, Sprout 2021 was able to provide Occupational therapy to 26 students, Physical therapy to 1 student, and diagnose 2 students of what their conditions were. These numbers show that through the efforts of the Sprout 2021 team, these students and parents were able to get the help that they needed through the therapy sessions and modules that were provided during the event. These sessions also gave the opportunity for the students and parents to take a leap forward and take-away different learning experiences that they have picked up during their therapy consultations.
The event then culminated in the talk “Navigating Online Special Education” on the official Ateneo SPEED Facebook page, which featured two speakers from ALRES PH, Mrs. Marleen Go and Teacher Audrey Lim. The segment of Mrs. Marleen Go focused on creating an environment that would foster learning for both the students and the parents. She emphasized that in order create a safe space for learning, despite the online setup is to remind the child that they aren’t alone in this situation, to alway reach out for help to any channels available to them, and to allow themselves and their children to breathe, as it is a simple task that is often overlooked due to the stress of the online setup that we were placed in. On the other hand, Teacher Audrey Lim’s segment tackled how it is important to respond effectively to a situation rather than reacting, as responding to the situation in a way that encourages the child to develop their confidence and a positive mindset that would truly help them during this time of social isolation. Through both of their talks, the attendees were able to take-away important pointers to consider when navigating the online learning environment created by the current circumstances, and was a very good way to close Sprout 2021.
“Taking a Leap Forward” is a very fitting tagline for Sprout 2021, as it was able to find and give ways for the attendees to find their footing amidst the online setup while providing meaningful insights and lessons from the project. It also allowed the participants to receive the therapy sessions that would help in coping and adapting to the online setup, as it was a situation that was suddenly placed on all of us. Overall, Sprout 2021 truly captured the growth that can be found through taking a step forward in the right direction that is done through fostering a safe and healthy environment to learn and grow, all while providing the participants with the necessary tools to be able to do so.
May we see familiar and new faces for next year’s Sprout!
Always for a more inclusive society.
ADVT.
