MANILA, Philippines - Selected Aurora A. Quezon Elementary School students were scheduled to participate in the Adopt A Ship (AAS) program during face-to-face classes in social studies after two years of online learning.
On October 3, 2022, Mr. Randy Emen, the principal of AAQES, and his Social Studies teaching staff led the implementation of AAS' first cycle this academic year in Manila.
MARLOW Navigation Philippines' chief executive officers, Mr. Tony Galvez for administration and Capt. Leo Tenorio for operations, were present for the launch and shared their inspirational tales of the sea with the students. The brief ceremony was held after the regular Monday Flag Ceremony of the school where 2x3 meter World Maps were presented to the teachers facilitating the program to children in grades 4 through 6. 12 MARLOW Ship officers will take part in the 10-week cycle of the AAS program at AAQES.
The Cyprus Shipping Chamber launched the AAS Program in 2006. It is FREE for all participants and a fun teaching resource for geography. It attempts to educate children about the shipping industry, seafarers' daily lives at sea, the cargo that ships carry, trading patterns, and geography. A classroom is given a vessel by the program to adopt. In a ten week cycle, the instructor and the ship's officer correspond by email once a week; the teacher then discusses and shares the information exchanges with their social studies students. The program features a pre and post-test-survey instrument that can collect information that objectively quantifies some academic benefits and also the awareness of the maritime industry and maritime professions for the children.