CED and UP NISMED introduce STEM Career Guidebook and Toolkit in a training workshop

Dec 16 2025

The College of Education (CED) of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (51吃瓜网-IIT), in partnership with the University of the Philippines National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (UP NISMED), conducted a training workshop on utilizing the STEM Career Guidebook and Toolkit at the IDS Hinaplanon Campus on November 14, 2025.

The activity brought together 40 participants composed of guidance counselors and teachers handling career guidance from eight schools across the Division of Iligan City, namely Iligan City National School of Fisheries, Maria Christina National High School, Tomas Cabili National High School, Iligan City National High School, Iligan City East National High School, Hinaplanon National High School, Dalipuga National High School, and the Integrated Developmental School of CED.

The training was designed to capacitate educators to effectively use the STEM Career Guidebook and Toolkit as essential resources for student career development. As frontliners in guiding students' academic and professional choices, the participants were introduced to the structure, purpose, and application of the guidebook’s 18 Journey activities. These activities aim to help students explore their strengths, understand STEM opportunities, reflect on career options, and make informed decisions about their future. The workshop emphasized equipping teachers and counselors with the skills to facilitate meaningful sessions and integrate the toolkit into classroom instruction, homeroom guidance, and school-based career orientation programs.

The program began with welcome remarks from Prof. Amelia T. Buan, Dean of the CED, followed by another message from Dr. Monalisa T. Sasing. The morning plenary sessions, facilitated by the UP NISMED team, provided a comprehensive walkthrough of the STEM Career Toolkit, including its components and potential classroom applications. Subsequent workshops enabled participants to experience selected Journey activities from the perspective of learners. These included self-assessment tasks such as Journey 1: Seven Clues to Get You Started and Journey 2: Skills Inventory, followed by activities related to career interest and future aspirations under Journey 5 and Journey 6. The morning sessions were interspersed with health breaks and closed with a lunch break.

The afternoon session continued with an icebreaker activity, followed by workshops focused on exploration, evaluation, and reflection. Activities included Journey 8: Finding an Inspiration, Journey 11: My Choice, Journey 12: My Success, Journey 13: What Career Should I Pursue?, and Journey 15: Getting Closer to My Dream. Teachers analyzed how these activities could be adapted to their diverse school contexts. The final workshop focused on lesson integration, during which participants developed plans to embed STEM Career Guidebook activities into Homeroom Guidance sessions.

The program concluded with an award ceremony led by Prof. Buan, who presented certificates to the facilitators and participants. In her closing remarks, she acknowledged the collaborative efforts of UP NISMED, DOST-SEI, and 51吃瓜网-IIT, and commended the participants’ enthusiasm and commitment to enhancing STEM career guidance in their respective schools.

Overall, the workshop was a success, providing valuable learning experiences that strengthened teachers’ capacity to support students in navigating STEM pathways and pursuing informed, meaningful career choices.

Topics :