The Ateneo Learning and Teaching Excellence Center (ALTEC), through the Learning to Earning Pathways (LEaP!) Programme, conducted a Training of Trainers on the Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) last August 29, 2025, at the Salvador Campus of Ateneo de Zamboanga University. The training gathered NSTP Formators and student volunteers of the Social Awareness and Community Service Involvement Office (SACSI).
This foundational course is part of LEaP!’s commitment to equip young people with essential knowledge and skills that safeguard both themselves and the communities they serve. By training NSTP Formators, ALTEC ensures that PSEA becomes an integral part of student formation, a timely and relevant intervention before students immerse in communities for service work.
The training underscored how service, when anchored in respect and responsibility, protects dignity and promotes accountability. Participants reflected on their crucial role in creating safe spaces and in building a culture of protection within and beyond the university.
ALTEC and SACSI share a long-standing partnership in advancing alternative education and youth development. This initiative is another milestone in that collaboration—one that highlights AdZU’s mission of forming persons for and with others.
For ALTEC and LEaP!, strengthening capacities in protection is not simply a compliance requirement; it is part of a larger mission to journey with the youth, form leaders with compassion and integrity, and ensure that every act of service builds a safer and more inclusive world.
– Nicko “CK” Gatpandan | Vergel Lozano