Education is all about starting early. Once you get started and get to know the basics, then the…read moreworld is your oyster. It doesn't have to be boring too, because if you enjoy what you're doing, you won't stop. How do you find that delicate balance though, especially in this digital age where kids are constantly glued to the screens of their tablets or phones? One of the best alternatives for alternative education is First Robotics in San Juan. With a keen emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, kids are pried away from their gadgets and are instead given a first-hand experience on the intricacies of robotics. They have programs for all ages, from basic courses on how things move and simple machines, to intermediate ones focusing making models come to life using a mix of mechanical parts and software, to advanced courses where they would need a deeper understanding of scientific concepts in order to make their robots move. How I wish I had these when I was a kid!

If you frequent Katipunan Avenue and the restaurants lining it, you've probably experienced having…read morea kid beg you for money. Some shrug it off, while others give a few coins or maybe whatever they're eating/about to eat. The people at the Interactive Children's Literacy Program (ICliP), do it differently, though. It's a place that teaches kids to read using approaches from UP-Diliman, Miriam College, and Ateneo De Manila University, where some of the volunteers are students and faculty members themselves. PROS: The volunteers are very friendly and keenly focused on their aim to provide literacy to the less-fortunate children around the area. They've actually created their schedule the same time there would be the most number of young children on the streets, so they could attract them to learn inside instead of working on the pavement. Will this really work? Well, in the end, they're kids. And if they see this learning-how-to-read time they spend in ICLiP more fun than earning a few pesos on the streets or whatever they'd be spending those pesos on, then they'll be back. So it boils on how to make this a good experience for the children; They have lots of books and teaching aids available that you can use. CONS: This is volunteer work, so the most compensation one could have from this is the good feeling of helping others. Maybe a boost in your resume too, if you're going into the industry of teaching. TL;DR: Joining ICLiP as a volunteer is an experience that would benefit not just young people like us into making the most of our best resources (time, intellect, and talent), but the children who would be enabled to make the choice of learning over begging in overcoming poverty.

My discipler invited me to attend and observe what goes on in Kids' Church service because she used…read moreto volunteer at the pre-teens service. I enjoyed my time so much with thevolunteers especially with the kids. It wasn't too different from the main service but what makes it a wee bit different is that the approach is more child-friendly and it's livelier because of course, you wouldn't want to bore the kids. They also have games to jumpstart the service. Teacher Rhomel did a great job at preaching the word to the kids because not only did they learn about God's word but they also knew how to apply or how it applies in real life. Letting children attend Kids Church services is not really to let someone babysit them while parents attend the main service but to let the kids learn about the word of God in a way that they'll grasp it easier.

This tuturial/review centre is renowned for their very efficient tutors and instructors. Their…read morereview books are also very popular, especially to high school students preparing for college entrance exams. I initially found their summer review for the upcoming college entrance exams a bit too expensive. If I recall correctly, that was about Php 19,000.00 including the books and other review materials. In retrospect, it would've been worth it. Their facilities are great and their instructors are very good at their jobs too. I just took their refresher course which was much much cheaper at only Php 6,000.00. I think it was around 5-8 sessions of refresher review classes. What we did basically was we did a rehash of what they taught during the summer review. Fortunately, all the topics they covered was also discussed by my high school teachers. The instructors were also very keen on asking and answering questions. I also bought their review booklets for me to review at home. I'd say I got value for my money. And I also passed the entrance exams.