Our Guiding Principles

Our Guiding Principles are outlined through our following Mission & Goals, Beliefs, and Philosophy.

Our Mission & Goals

Iskwelahang Pilipino students standing proud, celebrating Philippine cultural heritage.
IP students standing proud before performing Pansak sa Laley.

Iskwelahang Pilipino’s mission is to strengthen the Filipino-American community throughout New England by celebrating the rich Philippine cultural heritage in a structured and nurturing environment.

As part of this mission, we seek to achieve the following goals:

  • Develop a strong positive ethnic identity in Filipino American children and instill pride in the students’ cultural heritage.
  • Promote better relationships between our students and their parents through the understanding and appreciation of Filipino and American value systems.
  • Foster a sense of group ethnic awareness and to promote friendships throughout our community.
  • Develop awareness of the choices possible for conducting one’s life through a guided evaluation and selection of the “the best of both worlds.”
  • Develop a sense of community among Filipino Americans in the Greater Boston area through understanding and acknowledgement of their commonalities.
  • Heighten the consciousness of New Englanders about the existence of an important Asian ethnic group in their communities.

Our Beliefs

  • Exploration and celebration of one’s cultural heritage instills a sense of ethnic pride and sensitivity to other cultures.
  • Cultural explanation should involve all the senses and incorporate movement, music, language, storytelling, and art.
  • People can develop lasting friendships and support systems through positive, shared experiences.
  • Families grow stronger when they actively and consistently participate in structured and productive activities together.
  • Parent reinforcement of IP lessons at home has a positive impact on a child’s cultural development.
  • Children grow up with a healthy sense of identity when they have the chance to learn about and appreciate their cultural background and heritage.
  • Communities become stronger as they work towards meaningful goals. 
  • Strengthening IP strengthens our larger community.
  • Our IP community includes students, parents, families, alumni, volunteers and supporters.
  • Filipino community politics and interpersonal conflicts should not be allowed to interfere with a student’s experience at IP.

Our Philosophy

Iskwelahang Pilipino parent participation at Lowell Folk Festival.
IP parents and alumni cooking pancit at our Lowell Folk Festival Food Booth.

We believe that an understanding, appreciation, and acceptance of one’s cultural background and heritage will help prevent an identity crisis in the one’s life. Furthermore, involving children with their parents and peers during consistently structured and productive activities results in strengthened family bonding and long-lasting friendships. 

A driving force behind IP is Parent Participation, especially initiative and involvement. As a cornerstone of Iskwelahang Pilipino’s existence, we believe parental engagement should be strongly encouraged to continue. Parental support and reinforcement of our classroom lessons will help foster a strong and healthy relationship between a child and their cultural development.

Through our varied cultural offerings, students blossom and develop pride of their ethnicity. Many of our alumni remember their IP experiences fondly, and we are proud to provide our community reasons to celebrate and share their cultural. We also believe that developing strong connection with one’s culture helps develop sensitivity to and appreciation for other cultures.