Checking in with GBSEALD a year later

In May 2021, the fifth Loyola School was officially named the Gokongwei Brothers School of Education and Learning Design (GBSEALD) in recognition of the generous donation given by the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation. GBSEALD aims to catalyze teacher education, training, and innovation at its core.

“Bago ang Lahat, Edukasyon” is the motto that expresses the mission of the new school. This rings true as it speaks of the priority of education in the country as well as the innovation GBSEALD intends to bring to make a difference.

The world has changed drastically, especially in the last two years, but GBSEALD continues to make significant strides.

Primarily offering a graduate degree program, GBSEALD now offers a Minor in Education to undergraduate students looking to explore opportunities in the field of education. For 2022, the school's priority is to launch its doctoral programs: a professional doctorate and a research doctorate. The Doctor of Education (EdD) is a professional doctorate program geared toward education professionals who intend to develop a specialization in their field of practice. The PhD in Education is a research doctorate track intended for those who prefer a research track, giving the student a greater focus on an educational research project. GBSEALD has likewise made inroads into completing its undergraduate program and hopes to start offering it by Academic Year 2023-2024.

The school brings together teachers, social scientists, engineers, mathematics, economics, and creative artists to develop and enhance teachers' learning, teaching, and formation. Through the Ateneo Teacher Center (ATC), the Institute for the Science and Art of Learning and Teaching (SALT), the Ignatian Initiative for Teacher Excellence (IGNITE), Pathways to Higher Education, and a leadership initiative in honor of Lily Gokongwei Ngochua (still in development)—GBSEALD is setting new pathways and new solutions in educating new generations of teachers.

In November 2021, GBSEALD partnered with the Boston College Lynch School of Education and Human Development to host the 2nd International Conference on Educational Frontiers (EducFrontiers 2021). The two-day online conference brought together education stakeholders worldwide to address and share insights on global education. It is worth noting that GBSEALD and Boston College have inked an MOU with unique opportunities for collaboration underway.

Recognizing the gaps in education assistance, GBSEALD is fortunate to have scholarships available. The Rosario Bustos Atencio Scholarship for Public School Teachers is intended to support the education of students aspiring to serve in public schools and the continuing professional development of public-school teachers. The Vicente Tiu Lim Teacher Education Endowment, on the other hand, provides financial assistance for teacher education and continuing professional training to graduate student and professional educators, as well as provide support for innovative projects in education.

After 2 years of remote teaching, the Ateneo Teacher Center will be offering Turo Guro (https://gbseald.online/atc/turoguro/) once again this June to July 2022, with the theme Be Ready. Reimagine Education. For this year, ATC has partnered with the Ateneo Bulatao Center, the Ateneo Center for English Language Training (ACELT), FranklinCovey Philippines, the SALT Institute, and other departments for the Loyola Schools (Biology, Chemistry, European Studies, Filipino, Mathematics, and Physics). With the support of GBSEALD, they will offer a series of workshops with the aim of harvesting key learnings from the past years in lockdown and facing the challenges that are emerging in our rapidly changing world. These workshops are not designed to be "sit and listen" seminars. These have been designed to ensure that participants have numerous opportunities to connect theory to context and practice – a dynamic that GBSEALD aims to have in all its programs.

As the world continues to evolve, so will education. The GBSEALD team notes how the “Ateneo student today is evolving.”

The ideal Ateneans, they say, “would be those who have exerted every possible effort to develop their God-given talents using all their God-given opportunities, such as their Ateneo education. They will devote their time and energy not only to improving their lives but also to contributing to the world so that it becomes a better place for everyone. This, after all, is what the Ateneo education is for: To nurture excellence in someone, but also to give that person meaning in life by striving to fulfill what God desires."

To know more about GBSEALD, visit https://www.ateneo.edu/gbseald.