One of the 5 winners of Globe Future Makers Program, TULA, gives life lessons to kids in schools.
TULA is a chain of after-school centers that aims to provide kids with the support they need to succeed in school and beyond school when they grow into young adults.
Its advocacy won it a place in the recently concluded Globe Future Makers (GFM) Program for game-changing digital solutions. TULA was picked up as one of the 5 winners from among 135 entries.
TULA developed its app that contains its lessons in gamified format that learners can take home and practice.
Elise Montinola, who takes care of TULA Operations and Customer Service, said the team was elated for being chosen as one of the top five winners of GFM. “We know that a big part of GFM is about leveraging the use of technology…We try to make learning as dynamic as possible, from the teachers to the lessons, to show that learning doesn’t have to be boring,” she explained.
She added: “Technology and the TULA applications and other dynamic teaching techniques are all part of the TULA curriculum to support kids’ learning. We hope our learners and their parents realize that the applications, together with the actual lessons at the centers and with our coaches, are what’s needed to help kids reach their full potential.”
While today’s school teachers focus mostly on imparting knowledge, this group of educators thought otherwise. They believe that learning is not just about knowledge but also building character, attitude and skills.
“The impetus behind the creation of our organization is that we recognize, especially in the Philippines, that there is a big achievement gap in school, and the gap exists because kids need more than just academics to thrive and survive in the 21st Century. Unfortunately, kids struggle not only to learn Math and English but also in developing their attitude, character and skills such as strength and resilience, courage and drive,” according to Mara Eala, Content and Learning Manager at The Ultimate Learning Accelerator or TULA.
The youthful mentor said their teaching involves 2-hour learning sessions, with the first hour devoted to Math and English where kids have the most difficulty. The second hour involves “Missions,” or project-based activities that tackle Science and Technology, Transportation, Medicine, Journalism, and other interesting themes that kids enjoy and are relevant for their future.
TULA has already gained notice abroad, becoming a winner for “SOLVE at MIT”, a social innovation contest in the US led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Its mission is to identify the best solutions to specific, actionable challenges through open innovation, and build and convene a community of leaders and change-makers committed to partnering together to pilot and implement these solutions.