Pres. Peter Manzano and PE Louie Aseoche motored to Sucat, Paranaque last Thursday, July 23, to pay a visit to Stepping Stone, the school for special-needs children that the Club has been supporting for decades and is committed to support in years ahead.
The reason for the visit was to turn over to Stepping Stone President Rodrigo Segura a check for P500,000, the first tranche of the Club’s P1.2 million donation pledge to the school for the upcoming school year. Also present at the turnover were Executive Director Dayal Nandwani and Academic Head Joana Brion.
The donation is earmarked for expenses in connection with requirements for the new online learning scheme that is to be put in place this coming school year, a system prompted by the stringent health protocols called for by the Covid-19 pandemic.
After the check turnover, the guests were given a tour of the three-story school building and the facilities the school offers for a wide spectrum of special education services—occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, special and regular classes. The school also offers Tesda-accredited vocational courses for Barista, Cooking and Housekeeping, training that has led to some graduates being employed in hotels and restaurants.
A Center for Excellence in Special Education, Stepping Stone “takes care of children with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities, using or modifying the general education curriculum to meet the child’s individual needs.” The school’s primary objective is to teach the students life skills and basic literacy that will enable them to develop into functioning members of society.
The school grew from the Makati Research and Development Center (MRDC), a special education school owned and run by the Rotary Club of Makati in the 70s and 80s.
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