The success of a project can only be measured by the impact it has created in the community where it was implemented.

As a developmental worker, my experience working in community-based organizations was my passport to success in understanding the dynamics of these groups. With this knowledge, the implementation of a nation-wide workshop series sponsored by Google was proven successful. The end-goal was the creation of various communities. 

"Google Educator Groups (GEGs) are communities of educators who learn, share, and inspire each other to meet the needs of their students through technology solutions, both in the classroom and beyond." 

It started in August 2013 and ended December of 2014.

The pilot program was held in Baguio City at the Berkeley School on two Saturdays of November 9th and 16th respectively.

The rest of the schedule were the following:

November 22 and 23, 2013 - DLSU - Manila

November 29 and 30, 2013 - USJR - Recoletos, Cebu

March 20 and 21, 2014 - Ateneo De Naga University, Naga City

May 5, 2014 - ACLC College in General Santos City

May 7, 2014 - Ateneo De Davao University, Davao City

May 9 and 10, 2014 - Xavier University, Cagayan de Oro City

July 25 and 26, 2014 - University of Iloilo - PHINMA, Iloilo City

August 15, 2014 - University of Pangasinan, Dagupan City

August 16, 2014 - Angeles University Foundation, Angeles City

September 20, 2014 - De La Salle Lipa, Lipa City

September 23, 2014 - DLSU Dasmarinas, Cavite

September 27, 2014 - University of Perpetual Help System, Laguna, Binan

October 28 and 29, 2014 - University of St. La Salle, Bacolod City

November 14 and 15, 2014 - De La Salle - College of St. Benilde, Manila

November 27 and 28, 2014 - University of Northern Philippines, Vigan City

December 4 and 5, 2014 - DMC College Foundation, Dipolog City

As the project operations lead, I was able to organize workshop after workshop from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. As a community effort, famous schools and institutions partnered and hosted the event.

As a trainer for the workshop series, I was able to train a lot of teachers all over the Philippines along with my team of equally wonderful trainers  - the Gaylas Filipinas. From day one, from the inception meeting, to the creation of the curriculum, revision, implementation that lasted for a year, I was there all the way.

As a partner with Google for this project, we gathered teachers from private to public institutions to attend a full-day hands-on workshop on Google Apps. The feedback was overwhelming as we gained notoriety for giving everything without a fee. That was how Google loves the country as an emerging market. And of course, the project was a pilot for the launching of the Google Educator Groups all over the world. It was such a great honor to be part of it and right now, there has been thousands of communities all over the world. The Philippines being the pilot country produced a record number of GEG communities from the cities we have conducted the workshop. It was also on that same year in 2014 that the first ever GEG APAC Summit was held in Manila. It was a gathering of community leaders all over Asia and the Pacific. I was one of the facilitators in the sessions and truly it was an exceptional experience to be in. I will write a separate post about it.

The joy of meeting teachers who are passionate about their craft was just unbelievable. These teachers are leaders in their own right as they lead their small group into becoming efficient educators using the power of technology.

The first ever community created was the GEG Baguio Chapter with the community lead Aris Go of Berkeley School. It was January of 2014 and I was there together with Aileen and Philip to grace the event.

Right now, I do not have the numbers but the growth of these communities are only but a testament of how sustainable the project was. Of course, it was the brainchild of our dear Aileen Apolo - de Jesus as the Google Philippines pioneer and Philip Tanpoco who now works in the same coveted company.

With phase one of the project done, I think we are all looking forward to the coming months. Who knows there might be other exciting programs in store for us.

Cheers!

Things unfolded in the way I was not expecting. I guess that's how strong my inner desires wants to manifest in the real world.

Well, technically, I am not under the Google umbrella of employment but in one of the most important departments they have, Emerging Markets, SEA Outreach. Headed by Aileen Apolo - de Jesus, a new community was conceived to be formed with the help of the company I am with, Pixsell.

Philip was such a great help in the integration process. He heads the GEG Philippines project, a pioneer community building initiative for educators in the country. I was approached by him to work as a trainer since he got to know of my background in training and education way back.

As the days progressed, I was with Gab who is supposed to be heading the events coordination team. I was just a tag-along in the meeting. I remember how I just listened to the conversation, then inserting my thoughts and opinions and then eventually taking the lead in the whole planning stage. I'm quite experienced in handling big events, though not officially I am working as an organizer.

In three months, we hurdled different things, force majeure in all its forms and guises. At long last, the inevitable happened miles away from the base city. We conquered Baguio City on November 9, 2013 with a brewing tropical storm in the sky. It turned out to be the strongest typhoon ever and we were spared with a successful turn out of participants.

Baguio was the most challenging leg of the series. It was at Berkeley School Baguio and Mr. Aris Go, the school admin, was the first ever GEG Champion to lead the community.

Manila was done at De La Salle University - Manila on November 22 and 23. Teachers from all over the metro came. We opened a new class for the walk-ins and there are those who are not registered who came in droves. But, Google is generous enough to accommodate each and everyone.

Cebu, the supposed  opener for the whole series came in last. University of San Jose Recoletos - Basak was the partner school who provided us with everything we needed. It was done on the 29th and 30th of November.

Indeed, the whole month of November was turning point for everyone involved in the project. We did it successfully for the first phase and now, plans are brewing for the next phases of the project.

It looks like a busy year for 2014 for me and for my fellow trainers.

#GEGPh #Google #Educators

*This was originally posted at a December 9, 2013 entry on thepurplemanchronicles.com