Volunteer Profile: Vera Sastine

Vera Sastine is a Pueblo Science volunteer for the Philippines RISE Program

I first heard about Pueblo Science when I was working on my Masters in Materials Engineering at the University of the Philippines. One of my friends, Riza, invited us to volunteer, and we were drawn because of the opportunity to travel locally. I've volunteered for Pueblo Science in the Philippines, teaching one of the experiment modules/ classes in Southern Mindanao and in Puerto Princesa - Palawan. Volunteering with Pueblo Science, I was able to meet a lot of volunteers from different scientific backgrounds but with the same interest in sharing and teaching science. It makes the whole experience lively and stimulating to be among like-minded people but with varied pursuits.

RISE Workshop in Puerto Princesa, May 2019

Meeting the participants from different locations in the Philippines was also interesting and eye-opening. Talking to them during the modules, I got to hear their different perspectives on teaching science in their areas with very limited resources. It solidifies and reaffirms the need for what Pueblo Science provides: interesting, practical, and easily available teaching kits for science experiments that would strongly supplement classroom lectures.

I would definitely continue supporting Pueblo Science because I believe in such a cause. I was lucky enough to come from a good high school. But I've seen a lot of my classmates back in freshman year at college who had the desire to pursue a science course, but was really struggling a lot because of the poor foundation they got from their high school. What Pueblo Science can do is help level the playing field even by a little bit for the young kids with potential who come from rural areas where quality science education is hard to come by.

Spelunking after the RISE Workshop in Puerto Princesa, May 2019