SEAMEO INNOTECH Advances STEM Leadership Through Innovators SEAL

QUEZON CITY, Philippines — The Innovators SEAL: STEM Education Leadership for Change Programme brought together 36 teachers and 23 school leaders from the National Capital Region (NCR) and CALABARZON from 26–28 May 2026 for a three-day learning experience focused on strengthening STEM education and leadership for change. 

The programme provided participants with opportunities to explore innovative STEM teaching practices and reflect on how they can help nurture inquiry, problem-solving, reasoning, and modeling skills among learners in alignment with the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) framework. 

Through interactive STEM and leadership workshops, participants examined the role of school leadership in fostering agile and innovation-oriented learning cultures that support meaningful and lasting educational change. The sessions encouraged teachers and school leaders to consider how innovative approaches to teaching and learning can be applied within their own school contexts.

The programme was facilitated by leadership development experts from SEAMEO INNOTECH, including Dr. Juan Robertino D. Macalde, Manager of the Learning Development and Management Office (LDMO); Ms. Ethel Joan A. Atienza, Senior Specialist of the School Leadership Development Unit, LDMO; and Ms. Ma. Regina Peñarroyo, Specialist of the Teacher Quality Development Unit, LDMO. They were joined by STEM education experts Dr. Christian Sango of the Department of Education Division of Davao Oriental, Dr. Ricky Magno of West Visayas State University, and Dr. Sheryl Lyn Monterola of the University of the Philippines National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (UP NISMED). 

Throughout the programme, participants developed lesson plans that they will implement in their respective schools and share with fellow educators. These outputs are intended to help extend the programme’s learning beyond the training and support broader efforts to strengthen STEM education within their learning communities. 

SEAMEO INNOTECH will continue to provide support to participating teachers and school leaders throughout the implementation phase. Succeeding programme activities will also provide opportunities for participating schools to showcase their experiences and implementation efforts alongside educators from other participating countries, including Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan.