Course Description
This course will develop students’ leadership and advocacy skills with an emphasis on storytelling and community-responsive wellness. Students will learn the history of Filipina/x/o-Americans from pre-colonial Philippines to the present day, highlighting themes of struggle, survival, solidarity and resistance. Topics will be taught and understood through an Ethnic Studies framework that centers students’ voices through community dialogue, collaborative projects, and critical concepts that reflect the narratives of marginalized communities. Students will be at the forefront of identifying problems within their community, as well as finding creative solutions to address those issues with the guidance of PEP teachers.
Vision
Our vision is to engage students in understanding the connections between their identity and the stories of their community. With critical self-reflection, they will be able to transform this understanding into action and bring positive change to their community. Students will be encouraged to amplify the voices and stories of all historically marginalized groups and co-create a space that centers care, wellness, liberation, and humanization of both students and teachers. Together, we will learn and practice the values of Ethnic Studies to re(imagine) our local and global community.
Mission
Our mission is to generate a safe and active learning environment where students develop their critical consciousness and feel empowered to learn more about their identity. In doing so, they will build their capacity to grow their leadership, agency, self-determination, and community engagement. Students will be given opportunities and resources to nurture community bonds through class dialogue and one-on-one check-ins with their chosen mentor. Our priority is to ensure students’ wellness is supported and that they thrive in the PEP space.
Learning Outcomes
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Students who complete this course will develop skills such as:
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MALONG Mentorship Program
The malong is an indigenous Filipino fabric used for multiple purposes. From gathering food to providing security and comfort for children, the malong symbolizes community. At the heart of the community is the individual. To have a strong community you need healthy individuals: mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Though each person and site is unique, the Malong "wrap-around" health and wellness project focuses on 3 "threads":
Based on the three threads mentioned above, PEP MALONG stands for:
Mentoring Exchange
Academic Counseling & Guidance
Leadership Training
Opportunity Seeking
Needs Assessing/Assessment
Goal Achieving/Achievement
Teachers and students will be assigned mentor/mentee pairings. Each mentor is a direct resource for information about grades, classwork, and other necessary support. Mentors and mentees will have monthly check-ins to track students’ wellness regarding school and community. As a note of transparency, all teachers are mandated reporters.
- Mental health & wellness of all community members (directors, coordinators, teachers, students, families, communities)
- Academic counseling and guidance (students and teachers)
- Community building (inside/outside classroom)
Based on the three threads mentioned above, PEP MALONG stands for:
Mentoring Exchange
Academic Counseling & Guidance
Leadership Training
Opportunity Seeking
Needs Assessing/Assessment
Goal Achieving/Achievement
Teachers and students will be assigned mentor/mentee pairings. Each mentor is a direct resource for information about grades, classwork, and other necessary support. Mentors and mentees will have monthly check-ins to track students’ wellness regarding school and community. As a note of transparency, all teachers are mandated reporters.