The City Government of Valenzuela opens a platform for young Valenzuelano science geniuses with the launch of the 1^st Young Founders Summit Philippines – Valenzuela City: A Science and Technology Fair for Young Scientists and Inventors held at the Audio-Visual Room (AVR) of the Legislative Building, February 15, 2019.

The primary goal of YFS @ Philippines – Valenzuela is to promote Science and Technology (S&T) consciousness and encourage a culture of innovation among the Junior and Senior High School students from public and private schools in the City.

City Mayor REX Gatchalian is in full support of the projects, saying “Through this, we hope, not only to nurture young Valenzuelanos’ scientific minds, but also hope to seek solutions to the needs and predicaments Valenzuela City is facing today, such as Disaster Management, Industrial Technology, Green Technology, Technology for Special Needs (e.g. elderly, persons with disability, etc.), and ICT-based projects and android system applications”.

The Young Founders Summit Program is a K-12 project-based learning program which hopes to provide a hands-on educational enrichment opportunity to encourage youth innovators. All 12 to 17 years old Junior and Senior High School students from Valenzuela City are encouraged to join the program through teams composed of two students and one mentor teacher.

Among the series of events and activities lined up are a seminar-workshop and mentoring program for young S&T enthusiasts and an S&T fair exhibiting the innovative inventions and projects of participating students. To promote a nurturing environment for the young innovators, the event will also recognize and give cash prizes to the most creative and innovative student scientists and developers, who will also represent the City in Young Founders Summit – South East Asia (YFS @ SEA) which will be held in Singapore.

Winning team will undergo a rigorous coaching to be able to join the Young Founders Summit  South East Asia (YFS @ SEA), the direct pathway to YFS @ Global, bypassing thousands of global applications to win a direct pass to the finals of Young Founders Summit Global 2019.

YFS @ Global, its website says, is the world's first full scale startup accelerator for teenagers.  Winning teams receive USD 50,000 each and spend two months in an accelerator program to start up their million dollar company. In 2018, 1,200 teams from 26 countries applied. Eight teams won USD 50,000 each.

It gives participants opportunity to launch their own million dollar startup, to be part of a community of future leaders and changemakers, to gain access to inspiring entrepreneurs, and to add the prestigious event recognized by Ivy League universities to their curriculum vitae.

YFS @ Philippines – Valenzuela City is made possible through the initiative of the City Government of Valenzuela headed by Mayor REX Gatchalian, in cooperation with Valenzuela City School of Mathematics and Science, and Young Founders Summit @ Philippines, through Mr. Leian Padrinao, one of the successful participants from previous YFS @ SEA.

In his message during the launch and orientation seminar, Assistant School Division Superintendent, Dr. Benjamin Samson said, “We are given a golden opportunity to engage in a very productive and a very meaningful endeavor in the field of Science and Technology. So we encourage all students for maximum participation for the success of this activity”.

Also sharing their expertise to the students during the launch are DepEd officials namely, Dr. Ma. Lea Q. Prondo, Education Program Supervisor – Science; Dr. Victoria C. Tafalla, Chief Education Supervisor – Curriculum Implementation Division; and YFS Mentor, Mr. Rommel Lopez.