MANILA, Philippines - Stage and TV director and actor Leo Rialp has roped in artist friends to line up an exciting array of summer learning programs for young people ages 7 to 17. Between April 14 and May 25, their i-Learn workshops offer opportunities for discovery and self-expression in music, drama, writing, painting, drawing and wire art. Top musical composer Willy Cruz will take his students through the elements of songwriting, recording and performing their music. The basics of fashion illustration will be taught by set and costume designer Gino Gonzales. Concert pianist Jovianney Emmanuel Cruz aims to make music-loving non-musicians into future impresarios and producers of classical music through e-music societies. Jenny Jamora and Bernice Aspillaga — both theater mainstays — head the team of drama coaches in the multi-level i-Express workshops. These classes will have a maximum of 25 students and a student-teacher ratio of eight to one. Cesar de la Paz and Leo Rialp teach basic drawing and portrait painting, respectively.
There are more activities to spark children’s imagination and creative impulses: Mahar Mangahas employs the Harry Potter books to encourage a deep reading of literature through art and crafts; Sunny Torres keeps fingers agile and the mind engaged in a crafts course on wire sculpting; Mia Marci’s creative writing workshops even include one on blogging; Mario Rotea Jr.’s culinary courses for young chefs stress the fun of healthy eating and cooking; Tinky Cabanatan’s Zooper Tours bring the natural world up close and personal while archery is taught by national champion Earl Yap.
Does your child’s self-esteem need propping up? Do you feel you need to be more assertive in dealing with people? Maribelle Tison and Edith Villanueva run personality development sessions for 18-year-olds and above. Do you want your home to be a learning environment for your kids? Education guru Germelina Lising Salumbides has created a course for parents and yayas. Do you want your children to make effective use of their allowance? Melody Chan instructs them — and their parents — on money concepts, from savings to investment to proper spending.
The not-so-young can also have their fun in wine appreciation offered by chef Mario Rotea Jr. of Café Enzo and Dream Cuisine and in off-roading by aficionado Kenneth Rialp.
I-Learn is an after-school program for Pocketful of Kids — a specialty toy and bookstore (with a special tie-up with Fully Booked) geared towards holistic child development. Like the toys and books on display, i-Learn courses encourage children to discover and enhance their multiple intelligences. They also complement more specialized enrichment programs like READ (Remediation, Enrichment, Assessment and Development of skills) for children from different age groups offered by the professional group READ by Psychpros.
The theater and workshop areas are part of the child-friendly store layout that also includes a coffee shop and library on the 15th floor of Strata 2000 in Ortigas Center. For inquiries, call Pocketful of Kids tel. 634-7888 and 634 2888 or e-mail pocketfulofkids@yahoo.com or visit their website www.pocketfulofkids.com.