The first few weeks of working on the Special Project have been frustrating for me because of the pressure of finding the perfect partner institution -- perfect in the sense that it would be the right partner for me based on my interest and that it is an organization worthy of working the project with and for.

From constant emailing of organizations and getting zero responses, to being passed on to different point persons, to getting approval from partner organizations that are of the least priority, I almost gave up. I told our FIC, Sir Ley, that come the second week of August and I still have not finalized a partnership with any institution, he will help me gain partnership with UPOU Faculty of Education.

Of course, this was not just because FEd was my last resort; it's actually one of the organizations I genuinely considered. However, Sir Ley mentioned that if I can find partnerships within my community, then it would be better and geographically easier for me.

A little back story before I gained partnership with my partner institution, MovEd:

I met with the foundation of one of the largest independent terminal operators in the country and when I opened the idea of partnering with them to Sir Ley, he immediately prompted me to think twice with the organization that I will partner with and ensure that they are really an institution that needs help. Not that there are foundations who are undeserving of help, but rather that there are a lot more organizations that need more help. This, because the said foundation is backed by a huge corporation, yet they wanted me to design a teacher training program for them. Hence, I remember so vividly how Sir Ley described that he was "playing devil's advocate" for me because they might just use me for their interest and for unpaid labor even if they have all the means to hire an instructional designer if they really needed one.

It was really an eye-opener for me and that brief conversation with Sir Ley gave me a lot of realizations.

I'm so grateful to Sir Ley for properly guiding me during this phase because personally, I find this part of the project as the most crucial as it would dictate how the rest of the project will go. After scheduling several one-on-one virtual meetings with him, I finally got his approval for me to partner with Move.Org Foundation Inc., a non-governmental organization that aims to bring early childhood care and development programs to children and their families in underserved communities in the Philippines. Get to know more about them here.

Even though it took time before I formally partnered with an institution, I appreciate the silver lining of this because it eventually led me to the organization that I'm meant to work with -- the perfect partner organization for me. Had Sir Ley let me settle for those previous institutions I pitched to him, I would not have been able to reach MovEd -- which, upon only my initial research, has instantly captured my interest and attention. Like they say, may spark. ✨ I guess that's what this course also wants all of us to feel for our special project: to find a partner institution that sparks and captures your interest; the one that can showcase everything that you have learned in the program. That is exactly what I felt with MovEd, and I just prayed so hard for the partnership to push through. Thankfully, the stars aligned for us. Thank You too, Lord.