AP Tests United States Test Preparation Diagnostic Tests School Subjects Educational Consultation
Our Graduates Professional Reviews International Students Well-Being Resources
Company Careers College Internships FAQs Contact Us
Presidio Impact Ukraine Impact Sustainability Project Competition Corporate Social Responsibility
United States Test Preparation, School Subjects and College Application Services

 Sustainability

Presidio Impact

 

A tremendous part of our sustainability mission is to create meaningful impact projects to help impoverished children. Along with our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, which include volunteering with children with intellectual disabilities, teaching under-resourced children how to create academic projects, and joining local community members at public library book giveaways, our Presidio Impact projects focus on helping impoverished children and the homeless. Please contact our Sustainability Team to get involved!

Our Impact Projects

 
 
Summer 2018 Cebu Impact Project in Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. After receiving handpicked backpacks filled with new school supplies, under-resourced Adlaon Integrated School first graders excitedly surround part of the Presidio Education® team to say goodbye, 2018.

Summer 2018 Cebu Impact Project in Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. After receiving handpicked backpacks filled with new school supplies, under-resourced Adlaon Integrated School first graders excitedly surround part of the Presidio Education® team to say goodbye, 2018.

The Saturday, January 14, 2023 Pattaya Impact Project 2023 at the Teacher Boonchoo Home for Special Children in Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand. Group photo of the charity organizers, volunteers and special education teachers. Children dancing on stage. Charity event banner created by Angelina Wang, Presidio Education® Sustainability Team Leader. Photograph 2023.

 SUSTAINABILITY

Pattaya Impact

 
 

Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand

On Saturday, January 14, 2023, Presidio Education® and Palisades Contemporary Living organized a superhero-themed charity day for special needs orphans at the Teacher Boonchoo Home for Special Children in Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand. We were able to gather over $4,000.00 United States Dollars (USD) in donations from local Thai companies, friends and foreigners. These donations helped us provide toys, hot meals and desserts for over 260 orphans.

We chose a superhero-themed day to inspire the children. Paul Guthrie (Batman) from Palisades Contemporary Living in Pattaya, Thailand, came up with the idea to help this specific school. Paul asked Ryan Young (Aquaman), Founder & CEO of Presidio Education® in San Francisco, California, United States, to help him organize this charity event. Angelina Wang, Presidio Education® Sustainability Team Leader, created the charity event banner to showcase many of the generous sponsors. 

Many local families, expats and friends joined us on this special charity day to play with the children. Along with serving hot meals, we also handed out ice cream and tasty snacks. The children also had a lot of fun playing with us and each other. These interactions sparked a lot of curiosity and smiles among the children. They were truly heartwarming. The variety of new toys gave the children a lot of encouragement. This is why we hope to transform this charity event into regular events. 

Teacher Boonchoo Home for Special Children opened in 2009 to protect, nurture and teach special needs orphans. The children often rely on donations from the local community. Unfortunately, this special needs school was unable to hold special events for the past three (3) years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is why holding an event now was so important since many COVID-19 regulations in Thailand are beginning to relax. We wanted to show these poor orphans that they were not forgotten. We wanted them to know that our community is there for them.

Local news reporters came to cover our charity event. Since many of our volunteers were English-speaking expats, we conducted interviews for both Thai and English-speaking audiences. Our hope is that community members will understand why we need their help to support these orphans on a more regular basis. Besides providing new toys, we hope community members will help provide nutritious food, as well as vital education and hygiene supplies to this school. The potential for wider communities to help is enormous, which is why we are very grateful for all the positive news coverage given for these orphans. Please watch The Pattaya News Thailand's Sunday, January 15, 2023 YouTube report "A very special look at Children's Day at the Teacher Boonchoo Home for Special Children" for clips of the children playing and interviews from the founder of the school and Paul Guthrie.

We would like to thank everyone involved, especially the local Thai community, teachers, volunteers and sponsors, for their wonderful encouragement and financial support. Please contact our Sustainability Team to find out how you can help these special needs orphans at the Teacher Boonchoo Home for Special Children. Even if you live overseas, you can still coordinate with us to help these orphans. Thank you! 

 

 

A Few Words from Aquaman

Presidio Education® Founder & CEO (English Teacher)

There is nothing more deeply moving than spending time with orphans. Special needs orphans especially are vulnerable and need important resources, such as educational and medical support. In a developing country such as Thailand, gathering sufficient resources for special needs children is a very difficult challenge. This is only compounded when these children are orphans. Without families, these poor, vulnerable children need our help the most. Above all, they need love and hope. They need to know that they are loved by people around them. 

Even though many local Thai community members joined our charity day event, many of our event organizers, volunteers and sponsors were actually expats. Some of our sponsors that donated money actually live on the other side of the world. This should demonstrate that kindness is not limited to geography. We encourage others to contact us about helping these special needs orphans from Teacher Boonchoo Home for Special Children. Our Sustainability Team encourages students, parents, family and friends to be more proactive with protecting children that so desperately need our love.

 

 Sustainability

Los Angeles Impact

 
 

Los Angeles, California, United States

On Tuesday, June 28, 2022, part of our Presidio Education® faculty flew down to Southern California to work with Mary Liu, Sustainability Team Gender Equity Leader, on her LA Impact Project 2022. Since Mary is quite active with volunteering in her various communities, she asked us for help on developing an impact project specifically for homeless women. We thought this was a wonderful opportunity to help Mary support the suffering homeless women in her Los Angeles community. 

Thus, we decided to fund Mary’s LA Impact Project 2022 by securing over 300 bras, over 1,200 feminine pads, 1,000 masks, sanitizers, shirts, snacks and water. Even though we funded this project, we wanted Mary to learn how to project-manage. We trained her on how to organize inventory and plan out logistics. Furthermore, we guided her on how to research locations where the most homeless women might be located across Los Angeles County. Mary determined that many homeless women often stay on the streets around Skid Row, Venice Beach and Veteran’s Row. We also found many homeless women around Hollywood Boulevard. 

Sadly, homeless women must worry far beyond just finding shelter or their next meal. Homeless women are especially vulnerable to physical abuse. They are regularly unprotected from criminals and even other homeless men that attempt to rape them. This is why homeless women so badly need community members to treat them with understanding and compassion. For students that want to create projects that support homeless women, please contact our Sustainability Team.

A Story from Mary Liu

Presidio Education® Gender Equality Leader

 

Protecting Homeless Women

The pandemic has put individuals and families at an increased risk of falling into poverty. As the unemployment rate rises, the homeless population increases. Specifically, unemployment has disproportionately affected women. Homeless people are some of the most extreme examples of poverty and social exclusion. Women in this situation are especially vulnerable to discrimination, marginalization, human trafficking, and sexual abuse.

I told Ryan Young, Presidio Education® Founder & CEO, that I wanted to create an impact project that helps women specifically and he right away agreed after I showed him the proposal. Ryan offered to fund my impact project to help homeless women across Los Angeles. 

Most people donate clothes, shoes, and food to the homeless. However, I wanted to give out pads and bras, among other supplies, because homeless women have very limited access to feminine products. Homeless women face unique challenges managing their menstruation while living on the street. Many women struggle to maintain personal hygiene and experience menstrual shame. I wanted to provide homeless women with the basic resources needed to feel clean and secure during their menstrual cycles.

Researching Supplies for Women

I learned from researching supplies and gathering inventory that it is really important to pay attention to the details and complete thorough research before buying supplies. For example, I was going to source some of the supplies from Walmart, but Ryan explained Walmart’s long history of discriminating against female employees. Therefore, sourcing products from vendors that struggle to instill gender equity among their own employees would undermine the very ethics of my project to help women.

Interacting with Homeless Women

Most of the homeless women were really polite and thankful when we gave out the supplies to them. I felt happy when we helped the homeless women and want to continue helping them.

There was one homeless woman that came to my attention because after we gave the supplies to her, she immediately took out everything in the bag and tried to stuff everything inside her underwear. Homeless women have to hide what they have in order to survive and not get robbed by other homeless individuals, which shows women’s vulnerability to abuse.

Locating Homeless Women

I planned our itinerary for Skid Row, Venice Beach and Veterans Row. My research indicated that these areas would have the highest concentration of homeless women. After driving to all three areas and handing out drawstring bags filled with supplies for homeless women, we still had about 30 bags left. It was really important that we search harder to locate more homeless women, who appeared to be displaced in other unfamiliar areas. Isaac Ng, Sustainability Team, suggested that we drive to Hollywood where he had seen many homeless people before. I really appreciated Ryan and Isaac’s teamwork. During the project, they had no complaints and worked really hard to make this project possible. After leading the whole project, I learned that it is really important to stay organized and have backup plans.

Vulnerability of Homeless Women

Gender, just like age, ethnicity and geographical location, are all factors that influence poverty and increase women’s vulnerability. Sexism across society limits the opportunities available to women and homeless women. Homeless women are less likely to get access to public social assistance and resources given to the overall homeless population. Moreover, homeless women are highly exposed to potential crime and violence. The streets are dominated by homeless men, making women a minority group vulnerable to sexual assault and violent victimization.

Society has fixed standards and norms that define masculine and feminine identities and gender roles, and people’s lives are shaped in relation to them. To find a way out of patriarchy, it is crucial to understand the relationships of patriarchy and gender.

 

A Few Words from Ryan Young

Presidio Education® Founder & CEO (English Teacher)

We always encourage students to give back to their communities, especially to those who are suffering, alone, abused and victimized. While Impact Projects help students learn more about urgent sustainability problems, they teach students how to work effectively as a team. When students work together on volunteer projects, they learn so much about collaboration, communication and problem-solving. Teamwork also teaches students about taking initiative with developing solutions instead of waiting to be told what to do. These are all invaluable skills that will further their academic and professional careers. 

But most importantly, volunteer projects teach students empathy. Now, more than ever, we must foster students to care about the suffering, especially the homeless. Students are the future and need to problem-solve how to tackle society’s most difficult challenges. In such volatile times when laws marginalize groups and income inequality increases poverty, students should feel an inherent, ethical obligation to bridge these gaps. Many students focus on earning degrees from top schools and building strong careers, which is often expected. But our job as educators is to remind, even push, students that life isn’t only about them. We teach them how to be leaders and game-changers so they can also give back to the very communities that nurtured them and need them most. Students must learn that no one should ever get left behind.

A Few Words from Isaac Ng

Presidio Education® Sustainability Team

Social issues and sustainability issues are some of the biggest problems that our society has ever faced. Poverty and homelessness are worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic and recent global conflicts. It is everyone’s responsibility to help solve these problems because they are affecting everyone. I think the best way to understand homeless people and their problems is to see them firsthand. People will realize that the homeless are just like us but need our help to get back on track.

I have seen a lot of homeless people in Los Angeles before. I am glad to be able to participate in this event to help them. Many homeless women that we helped had regular clothing and appearances. Most of the homeless women were polite and thankful when we gave them the supplies. I felt like they all deserved to have a place to live. Homeless women are some of the most vulnerable groups of people in this community and I felt grateful to be able to provide them with basic supplies.

 
First+Aid+Kits-P1_29-Oct-2020.jpg

SUSTAINABILITY

San Francisco Impact

 
SF Impact Logo-Master #2-GGB_20-Jul-2021.png
 

San Francisco, California, United States

On Saturday, October 31, 2020, our San Francisco team drove around the city to donate 100 handpicked Presidio Education® backpacks filled with hygiene supplies for the homeless. Supplies included 1,100 masks, 900 bottles of soap, 600 pairs of socks, 200 bottles of sanitizer, toilet kits, first aid kits, clothes, feminine products, toilet paper, reusable Bisphenol-A (BPA)-free water bottles, drinks and food. Protecting our communities means so much to us. We feel great pain when we see so many of our fellow community members forgotten or hurt.

Over the last decade, there has been a dramatic increase in homelessness in San Francisco. In 2019, the City and County of San Francisco estimated 9,808 homeless across the city, which was a large spike from 7,499 in 2017. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19, many homeless were recently forced out into the streets to avoid close contact inside shelters. This presents a tremendous problem because many of the homeless on the streets do not receive sufficient medical treatment, psychological evaluation, food, water, or hygiene resources. Now, more than ever, the homeless need masks and sanitizers to protect against the COVID-19 pandemic.

We must all do a better job protecting the homeless. We hope our stories and pictures encourage students, parents, community members and even other education companies to take immediate measures to help the homeless. Whether volunteering every month at food banks, or even sending supplies overseas to impoverished countries, we press the urgency of helping those left on the streets. Please contact our Sustainability Team to find out how you can join our Impact Projects to help end poverty. No one should be forgotten!

 
 

Martin-Presidio+Gear-P9_8-Nov-2020.jpg

A Story from Martin Nobida

Presidio Education® English Teacher

I am both grateful and humbled to have been able to help so many people with something so important. As part of the Presidio Education® San Francisco Impact Project 2020 event, on Saturday, October 31, 2020, we took to the streets of San Francisco on the lookout for homeless people. Our mission: combat the spread of COVID-19 by distributing 100 backpacks filled with snacks, clothes, hand sanitizers, toiletries, and basic personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies to some of the most vulnerable and needy men and women in the city.

San Francisco is known for many things, among them the Golden Gate Bridge, sourdough bread, cable cars, and the 49ers. Unfortunately, the City by the Bay is also known for its legions of homeless people. And this not-so-invisible community is in desperate need of help.

While most Americans struggle to deal with reduced social contact and navigating partially shut-down economies, whole homeless communities are barely surviving. They receive little assistance or compassion from mainstream society, which is itself locked down in the face of a pandemic. COVID-19 has forced the closure of many homeless shelters around the city, making unavailable some of the only places the homeless traditionally rely on to get a little bit of food, shelter, and their basic health needs taken care of. So they’ve scattered around the city, huddled together in community parks, dark alleyways, and off windswept sandy beaches. Left to fend for themselves, they are without the means to combat a virus that has already killed so many people who were much better equipped to protect against it.

The Presidio Education® SF Impact Project 2020 was meant to give them at least a bit of a fighting chance. I’m sure our efforts were just a drop in the bucket when looking at the entire San Francisco homelessness problem—there are just too many people living on the streets for 100 backpacks to solve the problem permanently. I am happy and proud, however, to know that we were able to help in at least some small way, giving a hundred or so people the means just to stay alive for a while. Judging by the smiles on the faces of many who received those backpacks, it seems they were grateful.

 
 
Presidio Education® team members hand-deliver new backpacks filled with school supplies for all 92 Adlaon Integrated School first graders in Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. Presidio Education®, 2018.

Presidio Education® team members hand-deliver new backpacks filled with school supplies for all 92 Adlaon Integrated School first graders in Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. Presidio Education®, 2018.

 Sustainability

Cebu Impact

 
 

Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines

In summer 2018, we flew part of our faculty, staff and college intern teams to Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines, to donate 280 handpicked Presidio Education® backpacks filled with new school supplies to impoverished Hipodromo Elementary School and Adlaon Integrated School first graders. Unfortunately, many of these Cebuano children and their families live far below the poverty line. Many are forced to live in makeshift homes in nearby cemeteries and cannot afford simple necessities like pencils or even used sandals. Yet, despite these adversities, these children are full of so much love, joy and hope.

We hope our stories and pictures inspire you to help these children alleviate the pain and suffering they face daily. All children deserve to live in safe homes and have equal opportunities for quality education. But we need your help to make this come true. Please contact our Sustainability Team to find out how you can join the many others who have reached out to us to help. Thank you kindly!

 

DSCF2495-003.jpg


A Story from

Kenley Lou

Presidio Education® Social Science Teacher

Growing up in Cebu enabled me to observe various societal problems, including gaps in educational opportunities, access to public health and the increasing poverty rates. Despite these challenges, Cebuanos are very close-knit. Rooted on bayanihan, which means the spirit of helping and cooperating with each other, locals have a strong sense of community for no personal benefit. Despite the relatively low standards of living in Cebu and an evident income gap, locals never forget to be happy and grateful.

In the past five years, the Philippine education system was revised to a twelve-year curriculum to match international standards. Due to the lack of financial resources from the government, the public school system experiences insufficient facilities, which negatively impacts student growth and understanding of STEM subjects. Moreover, there is limited access to quality education through private and international schools, which are often unaffordable for families far below the poverty line.

The Cebu Impact Project is a project close to heart. Through this project, we were able to make a positive impact in the lives of 280 first grade students. The joy of being able to reach out and give back to my own community is very humbling. Providing school supplies and backpacks goes beyond giving students the right tools to start school. The children know we really care for them.

Vast improvements with funding for health care and education sectors are needed. Due to restrictions with government funding and family finances, many Filipino children do not have access to good medical care and vaccinations. In larger families, only some of the children are able to receive primary and secondary education. Older siblings are frequently forced to sacrifice obtaining an education to take care of younger siblings. School administrations and local government officials try their best to assist under-resourced children.

 

Hipodromo Elementary School

In summer 2018 our team handed out handpicked backpacks filled with new school supplies for all 188 first graders at Hipodromo Elementary School in Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. During this project, we met numerous Barangay Hipodromo government officials headed by Barangay Captain Honorable Ruperto “DonDon” Bacolod. The school and other barangay sectors suffer from insufficient funding and resources. Captain Bacolod explained that many of the school’s children and their families are so far below the poverty line that they live in makeshift homes in nearby cemeteries. These poor families do not have running water, heat, nor protection from criminals. Since these poor families live in such harsh conditions in cemeteries, many are unable to provide their children with basic school supplies, such as pencils and backpacks, or even used sandals.

Adlaon Integrated School

In summer 2018 our team handed out handpicked backpacks filled with new school supplies for all 92 first graders at Adlaon Integrated School in Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. Since the school is in the jungle approximately 19 miles away from the city center, the school struggles to gain public exposure. Volunteer Teacher Jenebe Arcilla introduced us to local Barangay Adlaon government officials and Adlaon Integrated School administrators. Barangay Adlaon is headed by both Honorable Nieves Narra, Barangay Adlaon Captain, and Honorable Lhyn Arcilla, Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) Chairwoman. One school teacher asked us very humbly if we had enough funding to provide one STEM textbook for their fifth graders. This really taught us was how much the school depends on donations just to keep running.

Adlaon Integrated School first grade girls eagerly looking inside their new backpacks. Presidio Education®, 2018.

Adlaon Integrated School first grade girls eagerly looking inside their new backpacks. Presidio Education®, 2018.

Fighting Child Poverty

Unfortunately, many children neither receive adequate health care nor safe places to sleep. Children need sufficient healthy food, clean drinking water, clothing and shelter. Our faculty, staff and college interns flew to Cebu, Philippines, to donate school supplies to 280 impoverished children. One of the local government officials explained that many of the children are so poor that they live in makeshift homes in nearby cemeteries. While the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to increase public health on a global level, we need your help to reduce child poverty.

Families inside their makeshift home in a mausoleum within the Chinese Cemetery in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines welcoming Presidio Education® faculty. Photograph by Presidio Education®, 2018.

Families inside their makeshift home in a mausoleum within the Chinese Cemetery in Barangay Carreta, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines welcoming Presidio Education® faculty. Photograph by Presidio Education®, 2018.

supporting impoverished communities

Donating money is often very necessary to fund academic programs for underprivileged children. But sacrificing time to meet, play and work with underprivileged children is truly priceless. When we volunteer with orphans, we want them to know that we care about them and that they are not alone. These wonderful children need your help, too. By working together, we can show these children that there is a tremendous amount of compassion within our communities. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) provides critical information on how to help abandoned children.

Hipodromo Health Clinic Nurse Charlyn Leyson conducts health checks on a young child in Barangay Hipodromo, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. Photograph by Presidio Education®, 2018.

Hipodromo Health Clinic Nurse Charlyn Leyson conducts health checks on a young child in Barangay Hipodromo, Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines. Photograph by Presidio Education®, 2018.