Some 70 youths are learning woodcarving, spear making, bamboo rake fixing, basket weaving (coconut and pandan) and chanting as part of PCC’s Summer Youth Program.
Summer Youth Program is a collaborative program among PCC, Koror State Government and Workplace Investement Act (WIA) to provide skills training for kids during summer.
“WIA provides the funding for the students’ incentive,” said Willy Wally, Dean Continuing Education at PCC. Students get a stipend of $100 per two weeks, and the program runs for six weeks from June 14 to July 24.
According to Wally, Koror State government pays for the instructors and materials, and classes are held at PCC.
Koror State hired qualified people to train the kids. Senior citizens from the Old Age Center teach kids how to weave; Phedias Brel and Victor Silmai, researchers from Koror State Government, supervise the woodcarving training.
The Summer Youth Program is one of three programs that PCC is actively holding this summer. The other two are Summer Kids Program and Apprentice Program.
Summer Kids Program, according to Wally, is designed for Elementary School students, from third to eighth grades, who need remedial courses.
“We’re providing academic support to these kids. We offer Math, English Reading and Writing and Marine Science courses for them,” said Wally.
Classes for Summer Kids Program are every day from Monday to Friday, starting June 7 to July 9.
The Apprentice Training Program, on the other hand, has been going on at PCC for the last 10 years. “We bring vocational school teachers, both elementary and high school, from Yap to Palau to train in fields where they can learn skills to bring back and teach to their students in Yap,” explained Wally. “It’s a very unique program that was requested by the Department of Education in Yap for PCC to assist them in enhancing their teachers’ skills.”
Three teachers from Yap are enrolled in the Apprentice Program this year. “They are learning agriculture,” said Wally. Classes started last Monday and it will last for eight weeks.
