HP and Atayde Foundation to empower Filipino children in remote communities through the Power of Print

HP Philippines is working with non-government organization Atayde Foundation to reach 150 children in three remote communities in the country to encourage continuous learning while finding ways to improve and maintain their mental health and wellbeing. In line with its global goal of accelerating digital and enabling better learning outcomes, this collaboration includes distributing printed learning kits that focus on reading, writing, and art therapy to children in Sagada, Mountain Province; Nueva Valencia, Guimaras; and Isabela City, Basilan.

According to the Society for Research in Child Development, children face a growing risk of mental health and stunted social and emotional growth issues as each year, 175 million children globally are expected to be affected by natural disasters, conflict, and other calamities. This makes learning highly challenging, preventing them from attending school and hindering critical development. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has further challenged such vulnerable children in their efforts to study while constantly adjusting to new and uncertain circumstances.

“Our partnership is consistent with HP’s commitment to providing access to education for students, especially in underserved communities. This means empowering everyone to learn anytime, anywhere, with the right educational programs, technologies, and tools,” says Christian Reyes, Philippines Managing Director of HP Inc. “HP believes technology can be the great equalizer in education and is using it to enable students in rural communities to get access to better education in the classroom and beyond.’

The initiative is a continuation of HP’s education-focused efforts in the Philippines with one example being its donation of over 400 units of HP Neverstop Laser Printers to support public schools across the country in reproducing educational modules for distance learning at the start of the pandemic. Globally HP has committed to enabling better learning outcomes for 100 million people by 2025. More than 74.3 million students and adult learners have benefited from HP’s education programs and solutions, since the beginning of 2015 (including 24 million in 2021). 

The power of print

The printed learning kit that will be distributed to three remote communities is composed of three modules. First is a collection of worksheets from HP’s repository of free printable materials — HP Printables. 

HP Printables was created from a need to help parents bridge the gap between education in school and learning at home by supplementing their child’s learning with easy-to-print worksheets that make learning and play at home more engaging. Today, it can also serve as supplementary educational resource material for remote learning.

The other two modules are from existing materials used by the Atayde Foundation for their RecoveREADs program aimed at providing literacy support to children from underserved communities. Kwentong Quarantine (Quarantine Story) is a psychosocial tool that helps children understand their thoughts and feelings during their lockdown experience, while Kwentong Kalikasan (Nature Story) instills the value of environmental and cultural appreciation.

The value of using printed materials in learning has been emphasized in the HP New Asian Learning Experience Study which revealed that a combination of electronic and print learning works best when teaching young children. It also stated that parents in the Philippines prefer printed materials for activities related to art (61%), math (60%), and memorization (50%), while they favor electronic modules when learning music or auditory skills (60%).

Moreover, art and writing help people heal from trauma and improve their emotional health. According to a 2015 study conducted by university researchers in Pakistan, students reading printed materials also understood the text better and had more retention power.

The distribution of modules also addresses a common challenge for students in vulnerable communities: limited access to educational materials.

“We are grateful and excited to continue our partnership with HP in supporting the learning of many Filipino children, especially those who are in far-flung areas. Even before the pandemic, we’ve been pushing for literacy support for children and have deployed more than 2,000 kits across the country. Together with HP, we will continue to inspire and empower our youths through educational programs that bring equal access to much-needed tools and resources,” says Margarita Atayde, Executive Director of Atayde Foundation.