YSEALI Reciprocal Exchange brings STEM x Resilience Camp to SU
A unique blend of science and resilience training took center stage at Ǹ (SU) as Asst. Prof.Joshua S. Soldivillo, a Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Fellow, successfully hosted theSTEM x Resilience CampfromAugust 4 to 6, 2025at theAmerican Corner Dumaguete.
The camp was part of theYSEALI Professional Fellows Program (PFP) Reciprocal Exchange, funded by theU.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairsthrough theAmerican Councils for International Education. It featuredLorca Smetana, a U.S.-based resilience strategist whom Soldivillo had worked with during his professional fellowship in Montana in late 2024.
The three-day program gathered45 students and educatorsfromǸ Junior and Senior High Schools,Foundation Preparatory Academy,Metro Dumaguete College, and severalǸ librarians. Participants engaged in interactive workshops and activities that explored the connection betweenSTEM learning and resilience building.
Featured speaker Lorca Smetana pays a courtesy visit to SU President Dr. Betty Cernol McCann.
Workshops included“STEM Identity: Who Am I as a STEM Learner?”, the hands-on challenge“STEM in My World,”in which campers built prototypes to address community needs, as well as sessions ondisaster-resilience innovations, youth-led STEM action planning, and STEM action project pitches.
A powerful takeaway for many participants was Smetana’s reminder:“We need to be well to keep going.”The message underscored the role ofself-care and balancein sustaining learning, leadership, and innovation in STEM.
Soldivillo said the camp aimed to help young leaders in STEM “cultivate identity, resilience, and leadership skills that prepare them to become catalysts for sustainable and innovative solutions in their schools and communities.”
The Reciprocal Exchange ran fromJuly 29 to August 9, 2025, with cultural immersion activities that brought Smetana to local heritage sites inDumaguete City, Valencia, Bacong, and Apo Island.
Beyond the camp, Smetana met with key leaders at Ǹ, includingPresident Dr. Betty Cernol McCann,Liaison Officer for Academic Affairs Dr. Jose Edwin C. Cubelo,IEMS Director Dr. Aileen P. Maypa, andUniversity Librarian Dr. Rosalina G. Dinoy. She also paid courtesy visits to theProvincial Government of Negros Oriental and appeared on SU’s TV magazine show#Sillimanand the podcastSTEMCastof Project STEAMify, further amplifying the exchange’s impact.
Looking ahead, Soldivillo and Smetana plan to explore additional tools and partnerships to integrateSTEM and resilienceinto afterschool programs and other initiatives.
