According to statements made by Father Reechee Espiritu, a Salesian administrator, in a recent Sun Star newspaper article about the festival, the name of the event derived from an acronym for One Negros Encounter, a celebration of the unification of two Negros provinces through the establishment of the NIR (Negros Island Region) or Region 18. “Juan” refers to St. John Bosco, founder of the Salesians.

Father Espiritu also noted that the festival was responsible for the recent partnership between St. John’s Institute in Bacolod and the Salesians of Don Bosco of the South Province. The sports festival worked to foster unity and camaraderie among the three Salesian educational institutions and showcased the talents and skills of participants through various sporting and recreational events. Games began shortly after the opening ceremonies and activities on January 8 and were followed by friendly sports competitions. The event closed with a Catholic mass and dinner for the athletes.

“Throughout the Philippines, Salesian missionaries offer a variety of educational and social development programs for youth, many with an emphasis on recreation and sports activities,” says Father Mark Hyde, the executive director of Salesians Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The goal is to provide the opportunities necessary to gain an education and skills training to break the cycle of poverty and retain long-term employment.”

Salesian missionaries across the Philippines incorporate sports programs into their traditional educational activities. The Madridejos Football Club of Cebu Province, Philippines, recently extended its programs to Bantayan Island and donated soccer balls to Salesian elementary and high school students and those attending Salesian youth programs there. The soccer program is part of the rehabilitation and rebuilding assistance provided by Salesian missionaries since typhoon Yolanda devastated much of the country in 2013. The football club has helped many young people remain in school, and for many players, their skills on the field have granted them access to scholarships that have allowed them to continue their studies at the university level.

“Sports programs teach youth both on and off the field,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Learning and playing team sports encourages leadership skills as well as teaches youth to work as part of a team. Students also learn important social skills and have opportunities for growth and maturity.”

More than one quarter of the population of the Philippines lives in poverty, according to UNICEF. Poverty is most severe and widespread in rural areas where 80 percent of the population–close to 88 million people–make their home. The poorest Filipinos are indigenous populations, small-scale farmers who cultivate land received through agrarian reform, landless workers and fisherman. In addition, poverty rates are higher for women than men.

Illiteracy and high levels of unemployment contribute to the elevated poverty rate. With more than 11 million out-of-school youth in the country and drop-out rates doubling as children reach secondary school, access to education becomes a critical step in breaking the cycle of poverty.

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Sources:

Sun Star – Salesian schools in NIR to hold sportsfest

UNICEF – Philippines

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The Fletcher Jones Foundation was established in 1969 by computer science pioneer Fletcher R. Jones who was a noted mathematician, businessman and pioneer in the rapidly evolving field of computer science in the 1950s. He co-launched the Computer Sciences Corporation in 1959 with business partner Roy Nutt. While the Foundation’s primary mission is to support private colleges and universities in California, Bosco Tech’s emphasis on preparing bright, talented young men, many from under-served communities, to further their STEM education and careers, is in keeping with the Foundation’s goals in education.

The innovative science, engineering, technology and math curriculum at Bosco Tech allows students to exceed university admission requirements while completing extensive integrated coursework in one of several applied science and engineering fields.

“Bosco Tech is extremely grateful for the Fletcher Jones Foundation’s support and confidence in our students and our programs,” says Xavier Jimenez, president of Bosco Tech. “The new laboratories will function as central learning hubs for students to broaden their understanding of engineering in a sophisticated, real-world environment where disciplines are integrated in up-and-coming professional fields. Students will collaborate on engaging projects that require an understanding of several different areas of science, engineering and design.”

Celebrating its 60th year, Bosco Tech is an all-male Catholic high school that uniquely combines a rigorous college-preparatory program with a technology-focused education. Bringing together young men of all religious, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, the school has a mission of preparing its students to be life-long learners committed to leading successful and productive lives. Programs at the school include computer science, electrical engineering, media arts and materials science, among others.

According to 2012 U.S. census data, close to 18 percent of residents of Rosemead live in poverty, an increase from the overall 15.3 percent poverty rate for California. Youth living in poverty face lower rates of high school graduation and difficulty finding and maintaining employment. Bosco Tech encourages its students to excel academically while helping them remain in school and stay focused on continuing their education into college. For the last several years, all Bosco Tech graduates have achieved college acceptance.

Working in more than 130 countries around the globe, Salesian missionaries have created a vast network of primary, secondary, vocational and technical schools serving poor youth. With a focus on education and workforce development, missionaries worldwide provide disadvantaged youth valuable resources to aid them in finding livable wage employment.

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Sources:

ANS – United States – Laboratories of the future to be opened at Bosco Tech

Don Bosco Technical Institute

United States Census Bureau – Rosemead, California

The post UNITED STATES: Don Bosco Technical Institute Receives $250,000 Fletcher Jones Foundation Grant first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Here in the United States, Don Bosco Technical Institute (Bosco Tech) in Rosemead, California, combines a rigorous college preparatory program with technology focused education. The innovative science, engineering, technology and math curriculum allows students to exceed university admission requirements while completing extensive integrated coursework in one of several applied science and engineering fields.

According to the most recent 2012 U.S. census data, close to 18 percent of residents of Rosemead live in poverty, an increase from the overall 15.3 percent poverty rate for California. Youth living in poverty face lower rates of high school graduation and difficulty finding and maintaining employment. Bosco Tech’s focus on academics allows its students to excel while helping them remain in school and keep focused on continuing their education beyond high school into college.

High school seniors studying green technologies in Bosco Tech’s Architecture & Construction Engineering program are creating and testing viable alternative fuels from cooking oil with remarkable results. The green and energy efficient engineering course stresses the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling and teaches how these environmentally sound precepts apply to architecture and engineering.

While studying alternative fuels, students recently executed a successful burn-comparison test where they observed and documented the energy and pollutants generated by their biodiesel formulas and compared it to those of petroleum-based diesel fuel. They found the biodiesel had an equivalent energy density to petroleum-based diesel, making it a viable alternative, while also diverting waste that would previously have gone to a landfill. The biodiesel also produced less smoke, possibly making it cleaner burning and less harmful to the environment.

“The goal of the green technology course is to inspire students to seek alternative, environmentally sound solutions to everyday problems,” says Chris Barnett, the program’s chairman. “In architecture and engineering, that includes passive and active solar design, wind energy production, alternative eco-friendly building materials like bamboo flooring and the use of recycled finishing materials such as reclaimed wood and counter tops made from broken glass.”

The students also study Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) curriculum, a unique offering for high school students.

“Our students are not just learning how to design better buildings, they’re learning to build a better environment,” adds Barrett.

Bosco Tech, an all-boys Catholic school, brings together young men of all religious, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds with a mission of preparing them to be life-long learners committed to leading successful and productive lives. The school also offers programs in computer science, electrical engineering, media arts and materials science, among others.

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Sources

ANS – United States – Bosco Tech Students Engineer & Test Biodiesel Fuel in Green Energy Program

Don Bosco Technical Institute

United States Census Bureau – Rosemead, California

The post UNITED STATES: Don Bosco Technical Institute’s Green Technology and Engineering Courses Prepare Youth for Higher Education and Careers in Cutting-edge Fields first appeared on MissionNewswire.

Illiteracy and high levels of unemployment contribute to the elevated poverty rate. With more than 11 million out-of-school youth in the country and drop-out rates doubling as children reach secondary school, access to education becomes a critical step in breaking the cycle of poverty.

Salesian programs in the Philippines have been educating poor youth and providing them the skills necessary to find and retain employment for many decades. Recently, 16 young men graduated from the Porsche Training and Recruitment Center Asia, as part of a collaborative program between Porsche AG, the Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati City and PGA Cars.

Students enrolled in the program complete a 10-month basic training course that includes both theoretical and practical training at the Don Bosco Technical Institute where Porsche has set-up and equipped a separate and dedicated training facility. During the program, students undergo advanced Berlitz-administered language lessons in English and Spanish as well as training in customer service.

Twice a year the Institute selects its top 35 students to advance to the Porsche Training and Recruitment Center’s comprehensive nine-month training program with Porsche specialists where students train on official Porsche vehicles using Porsche specialized tools. The program’s curriculum is continuously developing and adapting to the latest innovations and technology. The facility boasts state-of-the-art technical training equipment and advanced training and testing equipment complete with the latest specialized tools.

Graduates of the program become certified Porsche Mechatronics and have employment opportunities awaiting them at several Porsche dealerships in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America.

“Everyone dreams of achieving something great in their lives,” said Robert Coyiuto Jr., chairman of PGA Cars Inc., in his speech at the commencement ceremony. “The Porsche Training and Recruitment Center Asia was created to help underprivileged Filipino youth reach those dreams. Our mission is to provide quality Porsche technical training for youth and ensure that they have jobs that will empower them to achieve more.”

Started in 2008, the training course has graduated 10 classes with 146 graduates becoming certified, 127 of whom are already working for various Porsche Centers worldwide. Many of the graduates are working in dealerships in the Middle East and Latin America but recently there has been an increasing demand from Porsche Centers in the South Pacific and other emerging markets.

“This program and collaboration has been very successful,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “The goal of the program is to assist poor youth in developing the skills and knowledge for lasting employment. We are helping youth fulfill their dreams while meeting Porsche’s need for constant access to a pool of qualified staff.”

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Sources:

Business Mirror- Making dreams come true for the underprivileged youth

Don Bosco Technical Institute – Philippines

Porsche – Porsche Training and Recruitment Center Asia

UNICEF – Philippines

The post PHILIPPINES: Salesians and Porsche Collaborate to Educate and Employ Poor Youth first appeared on MissionNewswire.

In Nagaland, located in the northeast of India, Salesian programs are working to help poor youth. The Don Bosco Technical Institute there has trained 1,300 unemployed youth in vocational courses such as spa and beauty services, food and beverages service, hospitality, housekeeping and sales and marketing. The institute boasts a 77 percent placement rate in stable employment for graduates and it plans to train 15,000 more poor youth in the next 10 years.

“Successful trainees have found placements in reputed companies and groups including hotels, spas, resorts and even hospitals,” says Father AM Joseph, executive director of Don Bosco Technical Institute in a recent local Morung Express article about the school. “Earlier, we needed to seek out placements in industries and companies, but now they approach us for placement of our students. Today we have an impact and Don Bosco Technical Institute has become a brand name.”

The Salesians have been educating poor youth in Nagaland since 1969. In response to rising youth unemployment, they launched Don Bosco Technical Institute in the region in 2012. There, students focus on learning specialized skills through vocational training while also taking additional courses in grooming, social skills, computer skills and English.

Today there are four Don Bosco Technical Centers in Nagaland each with a separate focus: AIDA Don Bosco complex, Working Women Center, Don Bosco Vocational Training Center in Dimapur district and the Don Bosco Youth Center in Wokha district. According to officials at the institute, there are plans to expand to ten centers by 2014.

This past summer, 90 students graduated from the AIDA Don Bosco Complex in Dimapur. With support from the Union Ministry of Rural Development, students are educated for free and are provided free accommodation and meals if they live a distance away.

Many students work hard in their programs and strive to succeed. For some it’s one of the few opportunities available to break the cycle of poverty and find employment.

“It’s a dream come true for me getting admission in this training institute,” says Miss Rongsensangla, a spa trainee interviewed in the Morung Express article. “I came here with a goal of becoming a professional beautician. After I joined the institute, I have learned how to communicate, punctuality, how to speak English, health care and cleanliness.”

Don Bosco Technical Institute has 176 educational centers across India and has trained close to 75,000 youth in vocational and technical programs. The school boasts an 80 percent placement rate into stable employment after graduation.

In the same Morung Express article, Fr. Joseph noted that the Salesians plan to substantially increase the number of technical institutes across India over the next several years with new centers already opening in Jammu and Kashmir and other northeast and Maoist controlled regions.

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Sources:

Don Bosco Technical Institute –India

The Morung Express – Don Bosco: Empowering unemployed youth in Nagaland

Planning Commission for India – Poverty Report

UNICEF – India Poverty

The post INDIA: Don Bosco Technical Institute is Preparing Poor Youth for the Workforce in Nagaland first appeared on MissionNewswire.

What began as a pilot program to give poor youth an opportunity for education and training in an area of employment that is growing and has available jobs, is now responsible for training more than 200 students. The most recent graduating class of 34 students had a 100 percent employment rate upon graduation. According to an article in The Hindu, most of the graduates find careers in multinational companies such as Tata Yazaki, Kirloskar, Pizza Hut and the Taj Hotel, Mothi Mahal.

“Through this technical skills training program youth are able to find not just jobs but careers which helps ensure a bright future and the potential for life-time stability,” said Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. fundraising arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco.

Fr. Hyde, who recently returned from India where he visited Salesian programs throughout the country, added “Jobs in the hospitality industry are available in India and around the world. But the skills our students learn are applicable to many different careers.”

The hospitality industry requires more from its employees than simple pleasantries. The work requires good organizational skills and a high level of competence. Don Bosco’s Hospitality Management Program requires much of its students but gives a lot in return. Students are required to have the right blend of attitude, soft skills, grooming and competence in hospitality technical skills in order to graduate and be placed into employment.

This program is a true collaboration between the Don Bosco Technical Institute and hotel executives from Taj Group in Kerala, who are actively involved in student training. Students must successfully complete three months of classroom training before being placed into another three months of hands-on job training in hotels. At the end of the full six month program, students are ready for employment and are placed in front-line positions in the hospitality industry. Through the combination of classroom and hands-on experience students learn valuable soft skills, lessons in communication, personality development, and hospitality theory.

In order to help disadvantaged youth from socially and economically challenged backgrounds develop life-long employable skills, the training is offered free of charge. The program helps participants become stable, independent and able to give back to their families and communities.

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Sources:

ANS (Salesian Info Agency)

The Hindu Business Line

The Hindu

The post INDIA: Economically Disadvantaged Youth Find Careers in Hospitality Industry first appeared on MissionNewswire.