Since 1994, hundreds of local students have benefited from Stairway Foundation, Inc’s (SFI) Scholarship Program. For the 2010-2011 academic year, 105 local students received educational assistance from SFI, up from 74 the previous year. For 2010-2011, SFI sponsored thirteen (13) elementary school students, eighty-two (82) high school students, five (5) vocational school students and five (5) 4-year college students. Students were from 8 different Barangays (villages) of Puerto Galera. SFI hopes to expand the program for the 2011-2012 year to include scholars from Barangay Baclayan, a small mountain community of indigenous people, the Iraya Mangyans.

Each year, during the summer, candidates are screened through a process of home visits, personal interviews, and a family income assessment. The applicants that show a high level of financial need and an interest in continuing their education are selected every year for the program. The scholarships are categorized into two levels: scholars that receive basic school supplies and daily transportation, and scholars that require extra assistance, which includes a daily stipend and tuition fees.

In order to promote a culture of environmental awareness, every year, scholars attend an educational workshop on the effects of pollution and on environmental protection measures. Throughout the academic year, students are responsible for cleaning and maintaining various sections of road and beach. Once a week they report to Stairway and clean up trash in their respective areas. In 2010, scholars constructed and posted sign boards containing messages on protecting the environment. Through this project, scholars learned about the value of community service and many students expressed a growing interest in performing additional local service projects.

In addition to providing financial assistance, SFI aims to train scholars in valuable life skills in the hopes of empowering these young leaders. Students attend workshops in Adolescent Reproductive Health, Online Safety Orientation and Children’s Rights. Parents and family members also attend a session on Child Sex Trafficking and Child Protection, with the goal of raising the community’s awareness about child exploitation, thereby preventing future child abuse and sex trafficking incidents in the local area.

To begin the summer component of the Scholarship Program, students and parents attend an orientation meeting briefing them on the upcoming summer schedule. Students are responsible for trash pickup twice a week during April and May. Several educational workshops are held including sessions on Leadership Skills, Sexuality, Team-Building and Sports. For those students with low grades in English and Math, twice-weekly tutorials are conducted and a curriculum is being developed for use with future groups. With the new acquisition of a plot of farm land in Baclayan Barangay, SFI will try to utilize this area for an educational over-night trip, allowing the scholars to experience the mountains and gain knowledge of gardening and sustainable agricultural practices.

Through this organized scholarship program, SFI has been able to give back to the local Puerto Galera community. SFI aims to strengthen and empower local students and continue to expand the program to include more Barangays and a larger number of scholars.