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  1. Halo: Modernizing the Traditional Filipino Dress

    June 15, 2021 by Gigi Engalla

    Driving Question: How can I modernize traditional Filipino fashion?

    Project Overview: For her mastery project, CM1 Student Gigi Engalla set out to create a fashion collection that modernizes the traditional Filipino. To do so, she mastered elements of couture craftsmanship and developed a deep understanding of Filipino fashion by learning about its significance and how its classic features can be integrated into a modern medium.

  2. Aussie ABCs: Illustrating Australian Slang

    February 5, 2021 by Gigi Engalla

    Driving Question: How can I become proficient in Australian slang through art?

    Class of 2021 student Gigi E. designed her project on Australian slang and how it has become a part of the country’s identity. Her goal was to become competent and confident in communicating slang with the local community. She demonstrated this by creating a mini dictionary documenting Australian slang terms she learned through interactions with the locals. 

    “To further my understanding of Australian Slang, I thought there was no better source than the people of Australia themselves. Today I went around Scape and talked to people about their favorite Australian slang words. It was interesting to see how many of the terms that I already knew. Just from my experiences with Lexie and Elyce, I was able to learn a lot more terms than I thought I did. 

    The first people I interviewed were the people at the reception at Scape. They were able to confirm a bunch of the other terms that I had in my initial entries. This helped me know that they are still relevant and used today. One new word that they told me (which is now one of my favorite terms) is Eshay, a wannabe teenage gangster. They were able to show us pictures of what they meant and it was quite funny to walk around the city and recognize them on the streets.”

  3. Our Oceans Are Beautiful: A Short Film

    January 5, 2021 by Gigi Engalla

    Driving Question: How can I creatively document my journey of earning my PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, Rescue Diver, and Emergency First Responder certifications?

    What was your initial idea and what did you want to do/learn with this project?

    Going into the project, I already received my PADI Open Water Certification so I was only really looking towards finishing my Advanced Open Water. But a couple of weeks later, I ended up becoming a Rescue Diver and an Emergency First Respondent as well! Not only do I know how to handle myself and be cautious of my environment underwater, but I’m confident that I can save others if I needed to. Which is a pretty cool feeling, if you were wondering.

    What do you hope people will get from looking at your page?

    I would be satisfied with any of the following responses:

    “Wow! Our oceans sure are magnificent. I am going to make a conscious effort to improve my actions to protect and preserve our precious environment.”

    “The Philippines is unbelievably beautiful! I’m planning a trip to Puerto Galera right now. But not without watching Gigi’s other documentary on unsustainable tourism first.”

    “Scuba diving looks like so much fun. Sign me up for an Open Water certification! I want to learn how to appreciate marine biodiversity in the best way.”

  4. How the Boracay Shutdown Changed Tourism | Puerto Galera

    May 21, 2020 by Gigi Engalla

    Driving Question: How do local people feel about tourism and environmental regulations in Puerto Galera?

    Project Description: A couple of months ago, our family went on a trip to an island in the Philippines called Puerto Galera, so my sister and I decided to film a short documentary. It’s our little passion project to spread awareness on unsustainable tourism in the Philippines. We wanted it to highlight the unique perspectives of four local residents we got the opportunity to spend time with. Hopefully, it gives justice to an island that we and our entire family love.

    What were your goals for this project? We wanted our documentary to inspire a call to action on unsustainable tourism. The effects of unsustainable tourism can cause an entire island to shut down, resulting in thousands of people losing their livelihoods. By interviewing the residents of Puerto Galera, we want to show our audience the people that are directly affected by this issue, which will hopefully create a sense of urgency to protect our environment.

    What were your takeaways from the project? Working on the project reminded me of how unbelievable our world could be. I was reminded of how important it was to make sure that we sustain the beauty of our environment, especially in a small country like the Philippines. This project was a big wake up call for me and I hope that it can be the same to our audience.

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