Synergeia thrives on partnerships – the local government, parents, the Department of Education, teachers, school officials, the business sector, academic institutions and local NGOs work together to improve the quality of instruction in and out of the classroom. Each stakeholder contributes time, resources and know-how in order to develop a shared vision and common agenda for education as well as to sustain reform programs.

 

To be able to open programs in new communities, Synergeia encourages and benefits from a new sense of corporate responsibility and philanthropy in the Philippines. Seed money from international donor agencies, corporations and foundations is leveraged to encourage more local governments to invest their resources in education. Based on experience, Synergeia has noticed that private sector partners are eager to contribute and offer matching funds when there are quantifiable benchmarks. For example, a USD 10.00 investment can result to at least a 5 percentage-point increase in the reading proficiency of a child.

 

Synergeia also receives support from individual donors. New friends are introduced to Synergeia’s mission and programs during Fellowship Dinners. They are encouraged to participate in initiating basic education reforms to help children in public schools as volunteers and/or as donors. The most important Fellowship Dinner is held in November as part of Synergeia’s annual “Tipanan” or education expo.