To increase the student leaders’ awareness about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), Mabalacat City College launched its Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Series on 26 April 2023 at the MCC Hometown Bar and Resto. The series aims to provide information sessions on the UNSDGs and coaching sessions in the development of innovative, sustainable, and impactful projects.
The first ESD session was successfully conducted in partnership with Junior Chamber International (JCI) Mabalacat Malasa-an organization that develops community projects that are responsive to society's needs and strongly aligned with the UNSDGs. JCI Regional Vice President for Central Luzon Franz Lawrence Senapilo shared a presentation entitled: YOUth can do it!" He oriented the student leaders on the basic SDG information during his session. He also showed examples of outstanding community projects that highly contribute to UNSDGs. This was followed by a coaching session after the leaders shared their proposed projects.
Engr. Joshua Ken Policarpio, AVP for Workforce Development of MCC and a graduate student of Design Thinking and Industrial Engineering at DLSU, shared important concepts regarding Design Thinking. His "DesThink to Lead" presentation provided students with a process, framework, and methodology for developing sustainable projects. He discussed ideas like empathy maps, alpha and beta prototypes, and iterations. He also provided questions to guide students in assessing the feasibility, sustainability, and positive, impactful projects. Before the session ended, the student leaders affixed their respective signatures in the YOUth Can Do It Tarpaulin as an expression of their and their organization's commitment to take action and start projects that would be responsive to the needs of the community.
At the end of the sessions, MCC expressed its gratefulness to JCI Mabalacat Malasa, especially to its President, Mr. John Paul Galang, for their continuous support to the ESD Series and SDG Projects of MCC.
Education on the SDGs is an important aspect of Internationalization. Universities and colleges within and outside the country exist to provide academic services and ensure that education is translated into social impact.
