Written by: Maxine Ivan Mhea F. Aratan and Alessandra Marie Palada | Photographed by: Mr. Norman Patiang and Shainah Mae Arellano
The University of Baguio, through the School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts (STELA) and the BA Communication Program, conducted a two-day journalism training at Kias Elementary School (KES), titled “Empowering Young Voices of Kias Elementary School: Campus Journalism Training” on September 27 and October 11, 2025.
This activity, facilitated by fourth-year BA Communication students under the guidance of the faculty mentors, aims to equip students of Kias Elementary School to build a foundation and advance their journalism skills, fostering their media literacy, critical thinking, and self-expression at an early age. It also supported three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 4 (Quality Education), which promotes inclusive and equitable learning opportunities for the students, SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), extending specialized training for the students, and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) by instilling values of truth, fairness, and accountability through responsible storytelling.
Through the collaborative efforts of STELA, led by the STELA Outreach Coordinator, Mr. Norman Patiang, BA Communication Outreach Coordinator, Mr. Jameson Flores, Program Chair, Ms. Rizalina Castillo, and Project Coordinator, Ms. Caryl Makie, the initiative was made possible. A formal Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed on October 08, 2025, between Mr. Nickarter Junior C. Gozalo, School Head of Kias Elementary School, and Dr. Bautista, President of the University of Baguio. The signing was witnessed by Dr. Antonio Mangaliag, STELA Dean; Ms. Dehlia Benito, Faculty President; Mr. Norman Patiang, COE Coordinator; Ms. Caryl Makie, Project Coordinator; and Brgy. Captain Victor Benlingan Jr. affirmed institutional support and community partnership.
Throughout the two-day training, the Kias Elementary students had the opportunity to explore various areas of journalism, including News Writing, Sports Writing, Photojournalism, Editorial Writing, Broadcasting, Feature Writing, Cartooning, Science and Technology Writing, and Column Writing. Because of this, students were able to try 2 categories that interest them. The training sessions included interactive workshops, writing exercises, and mock reporting activities, where the young journalists had the opportunity to discover their talent in photography, practice writing headlines for articles, and develop their skills and confidence in delivering news like a news anchor.
This activity not only benefited the students of Kias Elementary School but also the BA Communication students, who gained hands-on experience in media education and community engagement. This initiative, in the long term, is expected to help establish a sustainable campus journalism program at Kias Elementary School, equipping the students with skills and confidence to participate in future journalism competitions and fostering a culture of responsible storytelling. Through outreach activities like this, young learners are being empowered to build strong foundations of truth, critical thinking, storytelling, and communication, which they will be able to use as the future voices of their generation.
