Whole Person Education Academy (WPEA) 2023 constituted a transformative odyssey that united educators from diverse nations, driven by a shared vision of “Humanizing Higher Education through Whole Person Learning.”
This program, organized by the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA) in partnership with the Ateneo Teacher Center (ATC) at the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), resonated a significant milestone in the realm of pedagogical landscape. Twelve schools, including three from the Philippines, two from Taiwan, four from Indonesia, and three from India, joined forces to emphasize the importance of unity among educators dedicated to achieving excellence in higher education.
During the residential phase, Dr. Hope S. Antone, the Director of Faculty Development; Dr. Cynthia Yuen, the Program Officer; and Mr. Lentson Amos, the Consultant and Assistant Director of South Asia Programs from the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, actively participated in the training to ensure its success.
Dr. Rizza V. Ramos, University Marketing and Internationalization Officer; Ms. Kristine Mae R. Auayang, SEAS Faculty member; and Ms. Jeramae V. Sagario, BES Faculty member and Immersion Head, played pivotal roles in advocating the program’s mission on behalf of the university.
Here are the key insights shared by the participants:
Dr. Ramos stated, “The experience was genuinely life-changing, particularly the mindfulness moments, such as the daily and consciousness examination activities, which kindled a reflective sense of wholeness and heightened awareness for integrative formation. Meeting each other in person also created an excellent opportunity for global collaboration. It gave us fresh discernments into learning through a different lens and pedagogical approaches that encourage comprehensive growth, breaking free from conventional norms, which resonates perfectly with our whole-person education mission.”
Ms. Auayang added, “The WPE Academy 2023 provided a fresh perspective for me as an educator. It’s true that we already practice the whole person education, but the seminar provided a deeper insight and allowed me to introspect about our teaching practices and the conduct of student activities. Indeed, we need to intensify practicing this idea so we can help our learners become whole and be whole ourselves. This will surely help them thrive in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world.”
Ms. Sagario expressed, “The five-day WPEA seminar, which included workshops and a presentation, broadened my perspective on education and how it should develop well-rounded individuals who can succeed in a variety of spheres of life rather than focusing solely on academic success. The seminar encouraged me to reevaluate my own approach to learning and consider how I can contribute to creating a more comprehensive and effective educational experience for myself and others. With that, I left the seminar with a sense of urgency about reimagining and reshaping our approach to humanizing the education system to better serve the holistic needs of learners and prepare them for the challenges of the modern world.”
Notably, the program featured high-caliber speakers and engaging workshops that ignited a sense of unity among educators, setting the stage for global collaboration and innovation. The inspiration shaped by WPEA 2023 is indisputable and will leave a lasting impact on the participating schools and, more importantly, on the students who will thrive through this whole-person approach to education. This program marks the inception of a future where education goes beyond the orthodox, prioritizing the integral formation of students and acting as an inspiring model for what lies ahead.
The training program was led by Dr. Rita J. Atienza, Director of Ateneo Teacher Center; Dr. Socorro E. Escarez, an Online Coach and Faculty Facilitator from the Gokongwei Brothers School of Education and Learning Design; Dr. Rhodora Nicdao, Chairperson of the Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Assessment; and Mr. Narwin Gonzales, the Technical Assistant from the Gokongwei Brothers School of Education and Learning Design, offered a unique combination of a 5-week online module followed by a 5-day residential training period. This hybrid approach was designed to ensure that participants obtained a profound understanding of humanizing higher education.
The program spanned from August 14 to September 25, 2023, encompassing both synchronous and asynchronous sessions, with the intensive residential phase taking place from October 16 to 20, 2023.
