UBS Optimus Foundation launches first partnership with Teach for the Philippines with PHP 43,300,000 grant

The Philippine Education System is now evolving with the introduction of the K+12 program by the Department of Education (DepEd), and it will come with many challenges along the way. And with te quality of education being jeopardized with problems such as lack of classrooms, teachers and learning materials has been an age-old problem that is still a struggle for the public schools. But along with this does come with people and foundations that believe that these things can be alleviated with the people that will innovate techniques to overcome these obstacles and will raise standards.

UBS Optimus Foundation announced its first collaboration with Teach for the Philippines (TFP), formerly Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation, to fund a leadership development program which trains high-potential leaders to teach at some of the Philippines’ high need schools. UBS Optimus  oundation has committed a substantial grant of CHF 1 million* over 5 years to support Teach for the Philippines’ cause of promoting educational equality. Teach for the Philippines will recruit and train the most promising university graduates and young professionals from the Philippines to invest two years of their lives developing their own potential through teaching at one of the Philippines' public schools nationwide. The UBS Optimus Foundation grant will go towards funding of Teach for the Philippines’ training program and support professional development activities. Teach for the Philippines is inspired by Teach for All, a successful global program that has been empowering the world’s most promising young leaders to transform their nations through education, working to ensure children who live in poverty still to access to excellent education. 

“UBS Optimus Foundation is delighted to announce our new partnership with Teach for the Philippines. We believe in the importance of human capital and how education can play a transformational role. In Asia Pacific, the Foundation supports 33 projects across 18 countries. We hope our support to Teach for the Philippines can lead to life-changing experiences that will positively shape the future of Philippines’ youth and help them achieve their full potential,” said Kathryn Shih,Board Member of UBS Optimus Foundation.

Lizzie Zobel, Teach for the Philippines’ co-founder and Chairman said: "This innovative new partnership in the Philippines allows us to tap into the talent within our country to build a lasting legacy for the next generation. We are collaborating closely with the Department of Education to enhance the programs which will develop the potential of teachers within the Philippine public education system. Our shared goal with the Department of Education and the local government units is to ensure that all children will have the opportunity to access high quality education. We are proud that the UBS Optimus Foundation has chosen to partner with us, bringing not only funding but global expertise which will help advance our cause."

Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for All and Teach for America said: "This bold move by the Teach for the Philippines’ team is representative of a society steadfast in its objective to uplift the future generation of your nation. I join them as they take a stand and begin making giant steps to bring us closer to our shared vision – One day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education."

In this new initiative, Teach for the Philippines is working with Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Poverty Action Lab to provide a robust system to measure and evaluate the

effectiveness of this program, identify successful elements that can be replicated in future educational projects and disseminate this knowledge to policymakers. Phyllis Costanza, CEO of the UBS Optimus Foundation commented:"We look forward to collaborating with Teach for the Philippines on this exciting new educational initiative as co-founders Lizzie Zobel and Margarita Delgado have had a longstanding experience through the Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation in promoting high quality education for all children, regardless of their background.”

Over the years, UBS Optimus Foundation has funded three health projects in Philippines - a highly successful rabies education and vaccination program in Bohol, which won the 2012 Galing Pook award, a program to control and ultimately eliminate a parasitic disease, called schistosomiasis, in Samar, and a project to diagnose malaria infections in children in Palawan as part of the efforts to upgrade the capacity of the Philippines' national reference laboratory for malaria. This latest Teach for the Philippines project is part of the UBS Optimus Foundation’s global commitment to improving the overall well-being of children. 

* approximately PHP 43,300,000

UBS Optimus Foundation

The UBS Optimus Foundation is an independent grant-making organization which is funded by UBS clients and employees. The foundation's administrative costs are paid by UBS meaning that 100 percent of all client donations go directly to the projects. The UBS Optimus Foundation's employees carefully select all project based on their technical expertise, provide systematic feedback on the program's implementation and performance, leverage their network of international experts and facilitate an external evaluation of the project.

Since 1999, the UBS Optimus Foundation has supported children in the areas of health, education and child protection with innovative, cost-effective initiatives that impart lasting benefits. The UBS Optimus Foundation is a part of UBS's dedicated philanthropic support to its clients globally.

www.ubs.com/optimus

Teach for the Philippines

‘Teach for the Philippines’ is a non-profit professional Philippine organization that enlists the Philippines’ most promising future leaders in our mission to promote education equality. ‘Teach for the Philippines’ is an official partner of Teach for All, the prestigious education network with 26 members globally.