Asst. Prof. Elaine Llarena (center), Project Leader, gives a lecture during the Orientation and 1st Face-to-Face Session for the 2nd batch of learner-participants of the IKM Mentorship Program held on 19-21 November 2018 at the SEARCA Headquarters.
LOS BAÑOS, Philippines – The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is set to hold the 2nd Face-to-Face (F2F) session of the project titled Information and Knowledge Management (IKM) Mentorship Program: Communicating Agriculture and Fisheries Research for Inclusive and Sustainable Development (CAFRISD) on 27 February to 1 March 2019 at its headquarters.
The IKM Mentorship Program is a capacity-building project funded by the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR). It aims to facilitate improved agricultural and fisheries research reporting and knowledge management. It employs a blended learning approach that combines online and face-to-face learning tools and methods.
Expected to attend are the same 18 learner-participants from the previous session, who are from different regional offices of the DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and other DA-attached agencies.
The 2nd F2F session will synthesize Module 1, which tackles science communication in the context of inclusive growth and sustainable development in fisheries agriculture research, and Module 2, which focuses on writing for dissemination of fisheries and agriculture technology, and research results.
Participants will also engage in lectures and exercises on feature article writing, photography, videography, and caption writing. They will also join one-on-one consultations with their respective mentors to improve their outputs.
The learning event also includes an exposure trip for the learner-participants to engage with KM practitioners at SEARCA and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as well as observe the different approaches of science communication at the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI).
Faculty members of the University of the Philippines Los Baños-College of Development Communication (UPLB-CDC) will serve as mentors and facilitators. Asst. Prof. Elaine DC. Llarena, Project Leader, and Overall Facilitator, will lead the activity along with Asst. Prof. Pamela Joyce M. Eleazar, Mentor on Online and Publications Writing and Production; Asst. Prof. Edmund G. Centeno, Mentor on Photography and Audio-Visual Writing and Production; and Ms. Rikki Lee B. Mendiola, Online Learning Specialist.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sonny P. Pasiona and Ms. Amy A. Antonio, both Project Assistants under the SEARCA Project Development and Technical Services (PDTS), will provide technical and administrative support during the program.
