July 15, 2026
Some days teach you something.
Other days change you.
Today was one of those days.
When I looked at our itinerary this morning, I expected to learn about education in the Philippines. What I didn’t expect was that I would leave with a completely different perspective on what it means to build a community around children.
A School Filled with Pride
Our first stop was Pitogo High School.
Before we ever stepped into a classroom, the students welcomed us in a way I will never forget. They lined the hallways, cheered as we entered, smiled, waved, and greeted us with such genuine excitement that I found myself getting emotional. Classroom after classroom paused to acknowledge us as we walked by.
One thing I can say without hesitation:
The Filipino people are incredibly kind and welcoming.
After sampling a few local desserts, we toured the campus and visited classrooms in action. Like schools in the United States, learning targets were posted, students were actively engaged, and teachers were creating student-centered learning experiences. It felt surprisingly familiar.
There were differences, of course.
The campus is open-air and beautiful. Student safety is taken seriously, with security procedures and morning routines beginning as early as 6:00 a.m. to ensure students have a safe learning environment throughout the day. Hard hats and safety kits are posted in every classroom in case of an emergency disaster such as an Earthquake, which the Philippines recently experienced.
One of the highlights was learning about their Robotics Team, which competed at the World Championships in 2025. It was inspiring to see students being given opportunities to excel in STEM while also preparing for university and future careers.
We also had thoughtful conversations with administrators about educational policy. Like educators everywhere, they are continually balancing documentation with meaningful instruction. They shared that their Department of Education has begun relaxing extensive lesson-writing requirements, recognizing that teachers’ time is often better spent designing engaging lessons and building relationships with students than completing lengthy paperwork.
Sound familiar?
No matter what country we’re in, educators seem to speak the same language…and yes, we have just as many acronyms as they do!
Walking through Pitogo High School reminded me that while our schools may look different, our mission is exactly the same:
Put students first.
Our second stop took us somewhere I will never forget.
AHA Learning Center in Smokey Mountain.
I’ve struggled all evening to find the right words because I’m not sure words can fully capture what this place means.
Years ago, Smokey Mountain was known as one of the largest landfill communities in the Philippines. Today, the community is writing a different story.
A story of hope.
A story of dignity.
A story of education.
AHA Learning Center was created by parents, teachers, students, and community members who believed children deserved opportunities beyond their circumstances.
Students attend their regular public schools in either the morning or afternoon. During the opposite half of the day, they come to AHA where they receive academic support, reading and math intervention, music, dance, fine arts, social-emotional learning, health services, leadership opportunities, and so much more.
Parents are just as involved.
Families receive educational support, parenting resources, and opportunities to build stronger futures together.
This isn’t just a learning center.
It’s an entire community wrapped around children.
“Be Kind Every Day”
One activity asked us to imagine we were social media influencers.
What kind of message would we share?
My answer came quickly.
“I would simply encourage people to be kind.”
One of the mothers smiled and said that’s exactly what she would choose too.
That conversation stayed with me.
As we toured the building, visitors were invited to leave messages on a wall for the children.
Without thinking twice, I wrote:
“Be Kind Every Day.”
As I stepped away, a little boy gently placed his hand around my message.
I didn’t think much of it.
Stephen
Throughout the afternoon, I noticed the same little boy following our group.
He would tug on my pant leg, look up at my name tag, smile, say, “Tricia,” giggle, and run away.
Later, I joined a small reading group.
There he was.
His face lit up.
“That’s Tricia! That’s Tricia!”
His teacher smiled and said,
“He was so excited after meeting you that he wanted to use your name as one of the characters in our story.”
I looked at the whiteboard.
There it was.
My name.
Written into their reading lesson.
I honestly don’t know how to describe what I felt in that moment.
It was simple.
It was unexpected.
And it was probably the most meaningful moment of my trip so far.
Stephen is nine years old.
Together we read a story, talked about synonyms, and drew our favorite foods on paper plates.
Then we laughed when we realized our favorite meals were almost identical—corn, meatballs, mashed potatoes, watermelon – coincidence or maybe a little copying I’ll never ask!
For a few minutes, we weren’t from different countries.
We were just two people sharing lunch ideas and reading together.
When it was time to leave, I didn’t want to.
It does take a Village
Parents led our tours through classrooms.
We visited reading and math support rooms, music classrooms filled with guitars, performance spaces, gardens that help provide food for families, health services, recycling initiatives, and areas where students create crafts that can be sold to support programs.
Many volunteers help make this work possible.
Some are parents.
Some are educators.
Some simply want to make a difference.
Later, we crossed the street into the community.
Seeing the homes wasn’t about comparing what people have or don’t have.
Instead, I found myself thinking about how easy it is to take our own blessings for granted.
Love.
Community.
Purpose.
Those things don’t depend on the size of a house.
As educators, we often ask ourselves how we can make a greater impact.
Today reminded me that sometimes the answer isn’t found in a new curriculum, a new initiative, or a new program.
Sometimes it’s found in people who simply decide that children deserve more and then spend every day making that happen.
I arrived today expecting to observe schools.
Instead, I witnessed what happens when an entire community decides that every child matters.
And somewhere in a classroom in Manila, there’s a little boy named Stephen who reminded me that kindness travels farther than we ever realize.
I think this day may have quietly changed me.
Maybe it even gave me a new goal for the future.
If you’d like to learn more about the incredible work being done at AHA Learning Center, or support their mission, visit:
https://www.ahalearningcenter.com
Sometimes changing the world begins with educating one child…and sometimes it begins with simply choosing to be kind every day.
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