Multiple Intelligence International School (MIIS) is instilling entrepreneurship, sustainability, and social awareness in its students from a young age.
One way the school propagates these values is through the annual “MI Kids Can! Bazaar #4GreenPH Eco-Bazaar and Thrift Market,” held Dec. 1 at UP Town Center, Ayala Malls. The event drew more than 1,000 attendees who watched student performances and shopped at booths, taking home countless goodies and gifts.
The Kids Can! program champions youth entrepreneurship and advocates for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, with a special focus on “Leadership for a Sustainable Future.” The bazaar offered hands-on entrepreneurship experience, allowing students to apply classroom lessons. Booths supported various advocacies, from locally sourced artisanal and sustainable products to animal welfare and gender equality.
“The bazaar served as a platform to raise the next generation of leaders who will want to care to use their smarts to make a difference and make the world a better place for all,” said Dr. Mary Joy Abaquin, MIIS founding directress and author of “8 Simple Secrets to Raising Entrepreneurs.” MIIS was awarded the Go Negosyo Youth Enabler Award for Basic Education.
A multi-awarded educator, author, womanpreneur, parent-advocate and teacher-trainer, Abaquin is a pioneer and staunch Philippine educational reform advocate. After graduating magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines with a degree in psychology, she earned a master’s degree in early childhood education from Boston University and a doctorate in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Her educational background and impactful work in education have been instrumental in MIIS’s growth as a sustainable school of the future.
MIIS offers students in preschool through senior high school the opportunity to create products or business plans, applying lessons in math and entrepreneurship. They learn not only business skills but also 21st-century skills like creativity, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
From its original site in Loyola Heights, Quezon City, MIIS is set to move into Parklinks by Ayala Land and Eton Properties, a green urban estate in Metro Manila. As the anchor school, MIIS embodies a sustainable, healthier way to live, work and play.
Founded in 1996, MIIS is accredited by the Council of International Schools and aims to foster the holistic development of students through meaningful learning and a culture of respect. The goal is to equip students to be 21st-century leaders and global citizens who use their intelligences to make a difference.
The new MIIS campus will offer smaller class sizes for personalized learning and feature facilities to support students’ passions and interests, including a culinary lab and makerspaces. The school believes leadership is for all students, regardless of intelligence.
The Parklinks Campus for Leadership in Sustainable Development is a culmination of the school’s journey to address social, economic, and environmental issues and create a sustainable future.
“We are excited to open our doors in the new campus for SY 2025-26. Construction is well underway and we are inviting the business community to get involved in our advocacy of raising the next generation of leaders for sustainable development,” said Ramon Abaquin, MIIS chairman.
The state-of-the-art campus in Pasig City is envisioned to provide Filipino families with a globally competitive, progressive, and international education.