THE Department of Education (DepEd)-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), in partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), recently launched the goIT Education Program in the region.
A global initiative that aims to help students improve their technology skills, the goIT program hopes to demystify computer science and encourage students to pursue Stem education and become tomorrow's technology leaders.
The program introduces students to design thinking, digital technologies and agile methodology to develop and prototype solutions that will improve their communities and support the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
With IT-related careers dominating emerging jobs globally, the goIT program hopes to encourage more young Filipinos to pursue training and a career in this field and consequently help in the country's development. The program is implemented throughout the academic year. Its curriculum includes the innovation life cycle, product prototyping and industry-relevant entrepreneurial skills.
The program is now running in 20 schools across six provinces of the Cordillera region, namely Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Mt. Province and Kalinga.
The three-day program, which is designed for grades 9 and 10 students, started on September 23 with its first school, the Cordillera Regional Science High School in Benguet and will run from one division to another within CAR until May 2021.
"True to our vision of promoting quality education for every Filipino, TCS' goIT program will facilitate the learning of much-needed technological skills. This will further develop the technology skills of our Cordilleran learners and hopefully encourage them to pursue Stem," said May Eclar, regional director of the DepEd-CAR.
"It is our hope that we empower Filipino students become future technology leaders who will contribute in transforming businesses and communities," said Arijit Roy, HR head of TCS Philippines.
Patrick Veril, CSR manager of TCS Philippines, also added that apart from teaching the students science and technology skills, they would have to come up with innovative solutions that would alleviate certain problems in their areas such as waste management, calamity control/response, environment preservation, among others.
With DepEd prohibiting face-to-face classes due the ongoing pandemic, the goIT program is done virtually with six facilitators handling one module each.
The program maximizes the use of digital platforms and is designed to be interactive and immersive so that students can enjoy and appreciate the online learnings and experience.
goIT is TCS's flagship student engagement program across North America, Latam, Europe and the Asia Pacific. It is tailored to meet the specific needs of local communities in each region.
The program is estimated to have reached more than 74,000 students worldwide across 22 countries. (SunStar Baguio)