Unieduca - Ingles

Magazine

How to improve your study plan?

Unieduca

"Laby 1" The labyrinth robot

The importance of a harmonious environment

Magazine First Edition November 2017 All rights reserved.

MANAGER OF SANTA ELENA OFFICE Gianni Torres Klinger

COORDINATOR OF THE UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS PROJECT Rocío Mejillones Durán

EDITOR Haydee Pozo

COLUMNISTs Darlyn Tómala Efren Ramírez Alexis Rosales Valeria Velez

RESEARCHERS Viviana Rosales Roxana Santiana Johanna Orrala Walter Gonzalez Anthony Solorzano

DESIGNERS Jhony Pozo Cochea Hamilton Rosales Narcisa Tomalá Dixon Guale González Jhonny Pozo Pozo

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Introduction It is a great satisfaction for Plan International to present the UNIEDUCA magazine that materializes the dream of young university students who face the challenge of becoming successful professionals every day. This magazine, more than being an editorial effort and reflecting the testimony of its characters, is a product of the “University Scholarships" project that seeks to contribute to the successful integration of young professionals into the labor market in Ecuador.

Factors such as gender discrimination, domestic work, high poverty levels and teenage pregnancy prevent young people from completing their education. Through the University Scholarships project we are contributing to make that vulnerable young people access higher education and successfully complete their academic and professional development, achieving a significant and lasting impact in the lives of scholarship holders and their families, and contributing to the development of their communities.

UNIEDUCA makes us realize that we need to live in harmony with our environment, amazes us with a robot product of imagination and ingenuity, teaches us about the importance of planning and personal growth and, through life testimonies, generates reflection that fills us and empties us at the same time‌ it fills us with a desire to live, to experience, to not give up‌ and empties us of the fear of failure.

Plan International puts in your hands this editorial effort that has been developed by young university students. We aim to make that UNIEDUCA contributes to train agents of change that pursue continuous improvement and professional success.

Gianni Torres Klinger Manager of Plan International Santa Elena Program Unit

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EDITORIAL

The definition of a plan leads a person to clearly identify the objectives to be met. An actual example is being able to develop a life project specifying the daily activities to build the future and, based on them, achieve the purposes.

That is why it is important to have an adequate self-esteem that guarantees security and trust, which must be developed within a harmonious environment.

An environment is appropriate when it provides serenity and satisfaction, and when you are accompanied by people who influence you positively to fulfill all your goals.

Likewise, student projects are tools that contribute to make that students develop a culture of academic research oriented towards the exploration and solution of problems. There is no doubt that these tools are being strengthened more and more every day. That is why we must mention Laby 1, a project that was the idea of a university student. Laby 1 is a robot that has a purpose, the purpose of moving where there are no obstacles.

HAYDEE POZO. 04

Contents

January - 2018

"Laby 1" the labyrinth robot

How to improve your self-esteem

The importance of a harmonious environment

Testimonials

How to improve your curriculum

Gender stories

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Experiences in mentorships Excellent practical learning strategies

With the support of public and private entities of the province of Santa Elena, Plan International is part of an initiative called Mentoring. This is a professional strategic tool that consists in making that a person with less knowledge about a subject receives training by another person who already has the required experience (Bozeman, M and Feeney B, 2007). This activity enables young scholarship holders of different careers of the Peninsula de Santa Elena State University "UPSE" to participate in practices that help them relate to the work environment; students receive tutorials from excellent professionals of each university career.

In the practice of mentoring, Valeria VĂŠlez, a student of Marine Biology, told us her experience in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Aquaculture and Fisheries (MAGAP). She was mentored with the guidance of biologist Diego Chiquito. She says that during the process she learned new things about her career.

Valeria and her mentor visited the Sinchal commune where she had the opportunity to learn about the development process of a microscopic fungus in the community laboratory. The process extracts fertilizers for agricultural areas in the north of Santa Elena canton.

They also visited the National Aquaculture and Marine Research Center (CENAIM) in the community of Valdivia to observe the development of pearl oyster seeds (crassostrea gigas), which are subsequently delivered to community members to continue their growth in the open sea. They even went to the community El Real in Chanduy parish, south of the province of Santa Elena, where they navigated a mile from the community in the open sea to observe pearl oyster crops.

Biologist Chiquito and two community members made Valeria participate in the management, review and control of oysters that were growing in lantern meshes.

"Participating in these mentorships is an excellent strategy for scholarship holders so we can relate to the labor world and get experiences in each specialization�. This was the comment that Valeria VÊlez made about mentoring.

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Plan International Santa Elena, a non-governmental and non-profit organization, proposes to reduce the level of gender violence that causes damage to our society, be it physical or psychological, through hard work. Currently, women are the victims of abuse and threats, which is why all of us must unite to have a society free of violence.

Johanna Orrala Dominguez, a 21-year-old girl resident of El Morrillo community and student of Civil Engineering at the Peninsula de Santa Elena State University, shared with us some information and comments related to gender stories.

that women must stay at home taking care of children while men have the obligation to provide the income. At the end of the day, the family meets in the house and the man simply rests. It is a very common belief that no relevant activities are carried out at home and, therefore, that women do not feel tired.

That is why we must face the obstacles of life looking for information in the right places and, above all, we should not keep silence with regard to an event that is causing harm. For this reason there are organizations like Plan that seek to reduce the levels of violence against women through workshops that promote empowerment, leadership and decision Some of the problems that women making so that girls and women face today are: discrimination together with their families can when seeking a job, manipulations, thrive. They also promote the protection of children and young threats, destructive criticism, and physical abuse, among other people so that they can participate violations of their rights that can in decision-making processes. If end in femicide. you see any case of violence in your environment, break the Machismo is one of the attitudes silence and act. Never shut up. that harm society the most; it is passed on from generation to generation and it is still a really bad habit.

The comments she made were related to discrimination against women, which is an experience that many women experience nowadays. She said the following: "Currently, what has impacted the most in the social sphere is the indispensable role that women play in labor and political environments, leaving in the past the ideology of believing that women can only fulfill the roles of mothers and wives�.

The reason why girls and women are currently working and struggling is because they want to achieve equitable social welfare in order to weaken the enormous barrier that prevents them from developing within the social conglomerate.

The opportunities for a girl to be educated in the rural area are minimal, since cultural patterns

"Break the silence and act. Never shut up�

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HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE YOUR STUDY PLAN? At present, educational establishments demand more participation from students with the aim of upgrading educational subjects. These tasks drive students crazy since they do not know what they should do first; however, there are tools that help lighten the burden from students, such as the study plan. According to Skilbeck (1984) the study plan is "an established framework for improving and organizing the variety and amount of experiences of students in the school environment and out of it�.

In the study plan, educational, autonomous and even family activities must be included.

You need to have time for everything. Spending hours doing high school or university homework can be very tiresome and could even cause headaches, a symptom that could affect concentration.

The mind also needs distraction and a good autonomous activity such as practicing a sport; it is of great help since it keeps the neurons active.

Spending a moment with the family, enjoying a good movie together or taking a short walk for the sole pleasure of talking, without carrying cell phones, are options that contribute to keep strong family ties.

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For better visualization and control, it is suggested to assign colors by categories, in this case they are divided into: academic activities: light blue; personal activities: yellow; family activities: pink. This makes it much easier to see the color papers with the planned activities day by day.

Each color paper contains the details of the event, place and time.

In an interview with Roxana Santiana, a student of Tourism Management and Development at the Santa Elena Peninsula State University (UPSE), she says: "when I started using the study plan it seemed to be an easy practice that would take a few minutes a day. I recommend it because I can visualize in an organized manner what the planned activities are and avoid, at the end of the month, the stress that is so popular among the university community ".

It is very important to keep in mind that a study plan defines you as an organized person and, over time, it becomes a very helpful practice. Remember that time is a non-renewable resource, every second is worth gold.

University Scholarships Taking the next step 09

The life project is considered the path to be followed and is made up of stages that include studying, reflecting and analyzing the parameters of who you are and where you are heading your life, all of this based on the environment where the person develops and the improvement of strategies to reach the goals set.

The decision making that defines the future is based on the analysis and reflection you make and in the feeling you give to the subject. So, we have reached the conclusion that it is not easy to make decisions but it is not impossible either.

When decisions are of outmost importance their advantages and disadvantages must be taken into account

"WHAT MAKES LIFE IRREPLACEABLE AND SOMETHING UNIQUE DEPENDS ON EACH PERSON. EVERYONE SETS THEIR OWN GOALS, AND OUTCOMES DEPEND ON THEIR ACTION� since they involve the destabilization of factors that influence daily and personal life as well as economic, family and social scenarios.

Viviana Rosales, a 21-year-old young woman resident of San Marcos Commune was interviewed. She studies Nursing at the Santa Elena Peninsula State University. Viviana says that in order to get to know oneself better, it is advisable to think what it means to have a personality and define it only

for ourselves, that is why Viviana told us a little about her characteristic features, which are: "I am a little intellectual, sometimes serious and other times funny but very sure of myself. I consider myself a dreamy girl, capable of achieving my goals, always trying to maintain balance in the different situations that come up in daily life�.

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Viviana is a dreamer who loves and enjoys everything she does.

Studying nursing has helped her to discover who she is and what she will be in her profession because it brings her closer to people who need support.

In this sense, she said that her greatest strength is the people who are close to her: "I believe that God and my parents give me strength to continue forging my goals”.

Viviana visualizes her life project from the present moment, while being aware of the courage of her parents because she considers they are true heroes of life.

“I WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR NEW CHALLENGES EVERY DAY TO SHOW THAT I AM CAPABLE OF FACING MY FEARS” Another of the precepts on which the road towards success is based is the security and passion for the university career chosen, since she considers that her profession is an example for many people.

Viviana says that she will continue to gain knowledge in order to help all the people who need it.

On the other hand, she intends to see the result of her dreams on a day-to-day basis.

"I will continue to look for new challenges every day to show that I am capable of facing my fears. I will always keep the values that my parents have instilled in me by projecting my life towards new learning, thinking of a future full of possibilities that gives me the chance to create opportunities and being happy doing what knowing who I am, what I can do and what I want to do to face challenges every day”

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educational commitment between Plan International and my community, demonstrating that the financial support I receive for my university education is

Valeria Ricardo Orrala is 21 years old, she is a young woman who lives in the Commune of El Tambo, She was an outstanding student at the UPSE high school and at present, in the university context, she continues to get very good grades.

invested in school supplies, transportation, internet service, copies, prints and other materials that I must acquire to carry out internships related to my career".

She became a beneficiary of the University Scholarships project implemented by Plan International thanks to the support she received from her family and, of course, from the community volunteers.

Evelyn has managed to face reality, showing that to achieve personal and professional improvement one must learn to overcome the adversities that may arise in life.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF “Things have not been easy for me since I was a child because I witnessed the loss of my father.

Since then, my mother had the goal of fulfilling the role of father and mother, so she developed many skills to make that our family get ahead. My mother was always an example for us both inside and outside the home. She died recently and her advice, but above all her example, left in me a trail of well-established principles and values”.

WHAT IS PLAN FOR YOU? “For me Plan is an excellent organization in the field of community assistance because they contribute to the construction of a world where children and adolescents, especially in the most vulnerable sectors, develop their potential in societies that respect the rights and dignity of

She also recognizes the work of Plan International in activities that have strengthened the skills and competencies of project participants in topics such as: self-esteem, gender equality, life projection and leadership.

LIFE TESTIMONIALS people, providing equal opportunities in society and in areas of quality school education”.

WHAT IMPACT DOES PLAN HAVE ON YOUR STUDENT LIFE? "My dream was to continue studying in the third level of education and reach my dream of becoming a civil engineer, achieving improvements both at professional and personal levels. However, my economic situation did not allow me to continue studying. I entered the project after they made some visits to my house to assess my economic and psychosocial situation. I went through an interviews process and finally they gave me the incredible news that I would benefit from this great project. Being an active participant of the University Scholarship project means making an

WHAT EXPERIENCE DO YOU REMEMBER MOST SO FAR? "The most important experience, the one that caught my attention was Mentoring. It was excellent.

This activity taught me to be more human and to first focus on others and in the day-to-day needs of people”.

A MESSAGE BEFORE WE SAY GOOD BYE "I thank Plan International for this great opportunity and for trusting me to be part of this student project. I am proud to be one of the beneficiaries of this project”.

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PEACE AND TRANQUILITY IN OUR ACTIVITIES

THE IMPORTANCE OF A HARMONIC ENVIRONMENT

The importance of a harmonious environment lies in having a peaceful and tranquil place so that actions that are developed lead to good achievements, thus improving the quality of life of children, youth and adults.

A calm environment affects the human being because if you have a negative environment it prevents your development, thus hindering the achievement of objectives. The positive energy of people around you contributes to achieve a more satisfying and happy life.

Consequently, being in a peaceful place benefits you and the people around you both physically and emotionally. In fact, a harmonious environment is very important in the place where you study and in your home because it makes you feel calm and comfortable, allowing you to carry out your activities or tasks in a fast and satisfactory way.

PEACE AND TRANQUILITY TO GET GOOD YIELDS 13

“LABY 1” THE LABYRINTH ROBOT STUDENT PROJECTS THAT STAND OUT One of the most outstanding student projects is "Laby 1" developed by Hamilton Elvis Rosales Tomalá, a student who was awarded one of the Plan International scholarships. He studies in fifth semester of Electronics and Telecommunications in the Peninsula de Santa Elena State University.

One of the most outstanding student projects is "Laby 1" developed by Hamilton Elvis Rosales Tomalá, a student who was awarded one of the Plan International scholarships. He studies in fifth semester of Electronics and Telecommunications in the Peninsula de Santa Elena State University.

The idea came up from a project on the Circuits II subject that consisted in creating a labyrinth robot. At the beginning it was not fully satisfactory because when making the first test the robot showed simple operation failures as materials were not strong enough. However, the programmer did not give up and rather decided to use more resistant materials with the certainty that with ingenuity anything can be done. Fortunately, the robot worked correctly this time. The creator of Laby 1 plans to make a smaller and faster robot in the future, which will be called Laby 2. Laby 1 is a robot with the ability of crossing a labyrinth

and its dimensions are 9cm * 9cm * 14cm. It consists of three sensors, one in front and one on each side which send impulses when detecting walls, thus allowing the robot to move where there are no obstacles.

For the elaboration of this robot it is fundamental to program it properly, so that in the future it can avoid every obstacle. The robot was made with the purpose of showing the technological scope that the Electronics and Telecommunications career can have, put into practice the knowledge that students have learned in the classroom, and encourage other students to join activities such as robotics and develop electronic devices, because these are projects that benefit the community.

WITH INGENUITY YOU CAN DO ANYTHING….

After working really hard, for the first time in the history of the Santa Elena Peninsula State University and thanks to the excellent participation of the 37 students and teachers of the Robotics Club, the UPSE was proclaimed the most successful institution of the Ecuadorian Robotics Contest CER 2017.

The 13th edition of the contest was held on November 34-24 in the facilities of the National Polytechnic School of Quito. On the first day, Ms. Teresa Santistevan and Mr. Hamilton Rosales (university scholarship holder) reached the first place in the climber robot category with Dorybot. Hamilton says: “winning the prize meant a lot to me, I feel really excited and proud because thanks to this first place my university won the title of Champion of Champions. In addition to the award, I received many congratulations that fill me with satisfaction and make me want to continue creating other robots to benefit the community”.

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THE PURPOSE IS SHOWING THE TECHNOLOGICAL SCOPE THAT THE CAREER OF ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS CAN HAVe

SOUVENIRS WITH FISH SKIN APPLIQUES The “Business Plan for the elaboration of souvenirs with Fish Skin Appliques� was prepared by Business Management students. This project aims to encourage artisans to produce manual products and implem market. This initiative also aims to open job opportunities through the use of fish skin as a raw material. This skin is collected in the fishing ports and markets of the province of Santa Elena, where fish skin separation processes are carried out.

One of these projects was the creation of the Fishcrafts Company which would develop souvenirs, taking duly consideration of quality standards. The attributes of these products would be: good quality raw materials, good presentation (improved designs and colors), greater security and guarantee to make that customers trust the product and to achieve the best quality in the market. These products intend to supply customers with colorful and innovative souvenirs, thus bringing many benefits such as the increase of tourism in the local area because tourists are the main customers, thus auguring good returns to the company.

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HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SELF-ESTEEM

The creator of the book How to improve your Self-esteem (Branden, 2010), says: "Self-esteem is the confidence in our ability to think and face the basic challenges of life”. In addition, Valeria Vélez, a Plan International scholarship holder believes that "self-esteem is the demonstration of emotions in the face of the events we have to address”.

It is characterized by the courage and confidence to face or evade problems; that is, it determines the way how a human being behaves.

Society is one of the factors that define the level of self-esteem, since it determines expressions that can create a hell or a paradise in the minds of people. However, the line of emotions is directly related to the individual thought of the human being, since each person rules their own world and puts the mental barriers that limit their behavior.

The capabilities of human beings are unlimited. To know how to overcome the problems linked with emotions a personal evaluation must be carried out, and virtues and defects must be considered to have an idea of what has been achieved and what remains to be done. In other words, constructive self-criticism is what contributes to personal development and, consequently, to the level of self-esteem. In addition, self-confidence contributes to the efficient performance of actions and, as an emotional result, the gratification felt for having completed them. It is also a generator of energy for the human mind and if you lack self-esteem it is like being in a world without light, where it is very hard to take the first step.

The human being is the only living being that acts according to their level of self-esteem. If you face problems that are causing great

sorrow in your mind and you do not have the slightest idea of what you are going to do, it is best to communicate with the people you trust so that they guide you along the way and help you overcome the dilemma that is affecting you emotionally.

Self-esteem is what determines the degree of happiness of people; it is also the cause of many deaths in the world because low self-esteem causes depression and leads to very drastic decisions, such as suicide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2012 there were a total of 804,000 people who died due to this circumstance; therefore, it is vital to work in this area before it is too late.

SELF-ESTEEM GENERATES ENERGY FOR THE HUMAN MIND AND IF IT LACKS, IT IS LIKE BEING IN A WORLD WITHOUT LIGHT, WHERE IT IS VERY HARD TO TAKE THE FIRST STEP.

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Do you want to help a young person to fulfill the dream of being a professional?

Motivate a young person to be more!

A high percentage of young people in vulnerable situations drop out education because they do not have a well-defined life project due to low self-esteem.

Another cause is the lack of economic resources.

Plan International identifies young people between 17 and 25 years of age who are at risk of dropping out education.

The University Scholarship project provides financial support and strengthens capacities on issues such as: Self esteem Life Project Leadership Gender equality Entrepreneurship WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR! BECOME A DONOR AND MAKE THAT THE DREAMS OF A YOUNG PERSON COME TRUE! 17

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