STREAMS XU–Pathways to Higher Education is an education development program of Xavier University's Office of Student Affairs.
Components and Activities
1. Weekly Academic Enrichment Classes (STREAMS Academy) – In order to equip high school students the ability to pass entrance and scholarship exams, weekly academic enrichment classes are conducted for them every Saturday at Xavier University. This is composed of 15 sessions from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The classes include the core subjects that usually come out in entrance and scholarship exams such as English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Computer. Not only this, trainings on different approaches in taking exams and on dealing with extremely difficult test questions are given to participants.
High school participants are exposed to the college environment to facilitate easier adjustment when they finally reach college after the program. Most of the participants coming from nearby municipalities are also exposed to rural environment to make transition to living in the city during college becomes an easy experience for them.
2. Participants’ Self Enhancement Sessions (STREAMS Academy) – These sessions are aimed at providing the high school participants self-enhancement workshops that develop their intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. These include formation sessions that build their self-concept and self-esteem and improve their social, relational, and problem-solving abilities. More so, in order for these high school students develop their own initiative, leadership formation sessions will also be provided to encourage creative and critical thinking and instill the values of being model Filipino citizens. These are necessary to address the problems that often drive today’s students to drop from college even after they are given with scholarships.
3. Volunteer Formation Sessions (VolDev) – In order to ensure the quality of output and sustainability of the program, STREAMS Volunteer Formation Program has been formulated to support and develop volunteers who are the lifeblood of the program. At the beginning, student volunteers are presented with national situationer and are allowed to participate in discussions on key educational challenges to enhance mutual understanding about this issue.
Since the volunteers are divided into several teams, split formation sessions specific to their needs are also provided. For instance, student volunteers who will manage the enrichment classes undergo lesson planning, classroom management, and teaching strategies trainings before they are allowed to handle classes; volunteers who are in-charge of developing modules are given module development workshops; and student volunteers whose main task is to manage the formation sessions for both high school participants and student volunteers are provided with facilitating skills workshops.
4. Scholarship Assistance – There are opportunities for scholarships and grants for the high school students participating in the program. This ensures that they get the opportunity to enroll and sustain in college.
Student volunteers look for scholarships and grants inside and outside Xavier University to be offered to the high school participants. Student volunteers inquire about scholarships and entrance examinations around the region and arrange examination schedules and transportation for the high school participants. As the goal of STREAMS is to enable its participants attain quality higher education, not really to study at Xavier University, high school participants will also be given opportunities to study in other standard schools, depending on their chosen course and passed scholarship exam. Many of them are able to study at Xavier University through the St. Francis Xavier Scholarships and the STREAMS – XU Pathways Grants.
5. Library and Other Education-Related Initiatives (Sharing the Light) – Apart from the enrichment classes and scholarship assistance offered to high school participants, STREAMS also has a library program component that addresses the needs of high school students for functional libraries. The program has three phases namely enhancement of the physical condition of the library, upgrading of information resources, and skills enhancement for teacher librarians. What STREAMS has done so far is improving the physical condition and upgrading of books and other library materials (including fixtures and furniture) of Lumbia National High School that has been adopted since 2006. Among the companies and institutions that have helped realize this program are the Children’s Hour Foundation, Coke Barkada Program of the Coca-Cola Foundation, and Pathways to Higher Education in Ateneo de Manila University.
Mission
STREAMS seek to provide academically-gifted and financially-underprivileged public high school students with the opportunities that will nurture their fullest potential to attain higher education. Further, STREAMS hopes to develop student leaders to be socially-committed, excellent, responsible, and pro-active.
Description
STREAMS (Supplementary Training to Reinforce Education of the Academically-gifted and Marginalized Students) XU–Pathways to Higher Education explores educational concerns through transformative learning that exposes high school participants to a broad spectrum of opportunities that will nurture their full potential to attain quality higher education. Participants will gain more knowledge through the facilities and resources that Xavier University will provide; acquire new skills through personality development and leadership formation sessions; and increase their network by meeting students from different schools and student leaders and key administrators of Xavier University. On the other hand, student volunteers running the program will have more opportunities for community development work and skills training through the formation program provided for them and the actual delivery of their respective roles and responsibilities.