I landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on a Tuesday morning in early September with two suitcases, a box of science supplies, and a great deal of uncertainty about what the next year would look like. I had defended my PhD in neuroscience at MIT in May, spent the summer preparing for the fellowship, and now I was here — about to begin a year as a Science Corps fellow at the Center for Vivid Imaginations Foundation – De La Salle (CVIF-DLS) in the Philippines.
The drive from Manila to the school took several hours. I watched the landscape change through the window — dense urban sprawl giving way gradually to smaller cities, then to green fields and mountains. By the time we arrived, I was exhausted and exhilarated in equal measure.
First Days at CVIF-DLS
I was welcomed warmly. The school director sat with me for two hours on my first day, walking me through the CVIF-DLS philosophy of education: curiosity-driven, hands-on, deeply respectful of what students already know and can figure out for themselves. It is a philosophy I agree with intellectually — but I quickly learned that living it in the classroom is a different matter entirely.
My fellow An Tran arrived the same week, coming from a background in materials science. We will be co-teaching and collaborating throughout the year, which I am deeply grateful for. It helps enormously to have someone to debrief with at the end of the day, to share the challenge of lesson planning, and to remind each other that the hard days are worth it.
The school itself is unlike any educational institution I have ever been in. The classrooms are open and bright. There are science materials everywhere — models, specimens, instruments. Students move between stations during science class, working in small groups, asking questions, arguing with each other (in the best way) about what they observe. On my first day, I sat in on a class and watched a group of fifteen-year-olds design and run an experiment entirely on their own. I had to remind myself that I was in a school that serves students who have historically had very limited access to science education.
What I Am Here to Do
My role at CVIF-DLS is to teach science and to help build the school's scientific capacity over the long term. That means not just delivering lessons, but developing materials, building relationships with local teachers, and thinking about what I can leave behind that will outlast my fellowship.
In the next few weeks I will be focusing on getting to know the students — their interests, their strengths, their questions. I want to understand what they already know before I try to teach them anything. That, I think, is where good teaching starts.
I will be writing regular updates from the fellowship throughout the year. If you have questions or want to follow along, check back on the Science Corps blog — or reach out directly.