What happens when disaster preparedness is transformed into stories, colorful characters, experiments, and hands-on activities? For hundreds of elementary students in Quezon City, learning about fire safety became an experience that was not only educational but also memorable. Through Project ALAS: SIKLABAN – Sindihan ang Alab ng Kabataan, the UP Association of Civil Engineering Students (UP ACES) brought fire safety and preparedness education to students of Toro Hills Elementary School and Tandang Sora Elementary School as part of its continuing commitment to strengthening disaster resilience among young learners. Project ALAS, short for Alleviating Lives, Advancing Solutions, serves as the social service arm of UP ACES and seeks to apply civil engineering principles to real-world community concerns. Since its establishment nearly a decade ago, the initiative has reached more than 4,000 beneficiaries through programs addressing waste management, sustainable housing, disaster preparedness, and environmental education. In 2023, the project began strengthening its focus on sustainable, replicable, and scalable approaches to community safety and resilience, particularly in addressing disaster-related concerns. This direction was put into practice in 2024 at Bagbag Elementary School, where Grades 1 to 3 students learned about disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) and waste management through interactive storytelling, dioramas, experiments, and personalized go-bags. Building on this experience, UP ACES returned in 2025 with SIKLABAN, this time focusing on fire safety and protection. Through animated explainer videos, interactive storytelling, physical dioramas, experiments, and fire safety demonstrations, the project sought to make potentially life-saving information understandable and engaging for children. Reaching More Learners The project was initially designed to accommodate approximately 300 students in one school. However, when two schools expressed interest, the team expanded its implementation to serve around 600 students. The increased number of beneficiaries presented logistical challenges, but it also gave Project ALAS an opportunity to extend its reach. Another challenge was communicating fire safety concepts effectively to children across different age groups. Recognizing the differences in maturity and learning preferences between younger and older students, the team developed age-appropriate materials. Students from Grades 1 to 3 received coloring books, while those from Grades 4 to 6 received […]
Daily Archives: September 21, 2026
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