BAYANIHAN PROJECT
Supporting the greater Pilipinx community and promoting higher education
Bayanihan is a Filipino word derived from the word bayan meaning town, nation, or community in general. Bayanihan literally means, "being a bayan" and is thus used to refer to a spirit of communal unity and cooperation.”
PTSP's Bayanihan Project provides academic services such as peer advising to help provide Pilipino community college students with greater accessibility to higher education. The Bayanihan Project serves the students nearby community colleges.
HOW IT STARTED
In 2004, JP Schumacher (PTSP Academics coordinator) and Theresa Toledo (SPACE peer advisor and PTSP member) envisioned a project that would provide academic services to community college students. This was inspired by the work done at UCLA by SPACE and SPEAR, respectively the access and retention projects of Samahang Pilipino at UCLA). A meeting between JP ,Theresa, SPACE and a student at El Camino College resulted to the formation of the Bayanihan Project (bayanihan meaning "working together" in Filipino).
The selection of community college sites was contingent on a high Filipino population and low transfer rates. With 5 administrators and 7 staff members, the Bayanihan Project came into operation at Glendale Community College and El Camino Community in 2005. That successful year was not succeeded due to a number of difficulties including weak support from community college administrators.
After two years in hiatus, the Bayanihan Project saw daylight again as JP Schumacher was hired as SPACE director. Under JP's watch, the Project was integrated with SPACE. The project was rebuilt on PTSP's previous work at El Camino, the only site that remains to this day. The year 2008-2009 saw a year of evaluation and social investigation. The first year of full peer-advising services was in 2009-2010 and they continue today.
A testament to the partnership today is the initiation of previous SPACE/Bayanihan students of the Filipino club called the Maharlika Club. SPACE/Bayanihan internship also currently exists to equip students with leadership and community organizing skills. The PTSP-SPACE partnership continues today to provides services and aims to build a self-sustaining community at El Camino College.