COMMUNITY IMMERSION

MODULE 3
OVERVIEW:
OVERVIEW:

• This module develop knowledge and understanding the concept and

principles of community immersion, it is important because
Community immersion allows individuals who are not familiar with
the people and communities where they will
work immerse themselves in these settings. This gives them the
opportunity to reflect on their assumptions, attitudes, and the
knowledge base of their profession and to gain cultural competence.
• This will enable the trainees or the students to have good grasp of
the local situation there by preparing them to appropriately respond
to the multifarious concerns in the community and properly carry
out immersion projects and activities
 
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Define the community and community immersion

2. Enrich the knowledge and competencies on the concepts
and principles of community immersion as a process of
development.
3. Realize the importance of a community immersion as a way
to realize the objectives of NSTP; and
4. Appreciate the value of community immersion as a means
of developing themselves as a citizen.
 WHAT IS A COMMUNITY?

“Community refers to a group of people gathered together in any geographic

area, large or small, who have common interests, actual or potentially
recognized in the social welfare field. “
-Arlien Johnson
As per concept, a community may be categorized as geographical, or functional.  
1. Geographical Community- is defined in the purview of group of persons living
in the same geographical location like in a certain village, town, neighborhood,
district, area or territory. Geographical locations, is bonded by a common end
such as fighting for the same cause, having the same interests and goals. A
certain type of community has recently emerged. Some refer to it as just social
movements but its definition points out that it surfaced out of the two other
types of community. It is called a relevant community that defines a group of
people having similar interests and goals as the communities around them.
2. Functional Communities are geographic area in which people share perception
of and relationship to the forest and natural resources.
THE ELEMENTS OF A COMMUNITY

As a trainee, one should be aware of the elements of a community in order to

understand it’s dynamics
 
1) Demographics-(characteristics of population) include population
distribution and density.
 
2) History -events of the past that contributed to the development of the
community
 
3) Culture- ways of living of the people
 
4) Economy- income level, occupation of people
 
5) Structures –physical, political and social structures.
 
Answer the following questions( 5pts.each)

1. Did you experience immersion during your senior high? If yes

can you share one of your unforgettable experiences while having
your actual immersion.
2. What benefits did you get from immersion?
 
 
Submit your output to Google classroom under Module 3 Activity 1
 WHAT IS COMMUNITY IMMERSION?

Community Immersion is a strategy in community organizing that

is sought to imbibe among the NSTP Trainees a better
understanding and realization of the different community
concerns through the exposure on actual life situation specifically
in the deprived, depressed, and the underprivileged community.
 
Community immersion is an essential strategy that entails
understanding of the different community concerns, processes,
dynamics and lifestyle through exposure and engagement in
different activities.
 
Community immersion goes beyond acquainting us with
community concerns but make possible our participation in their
(re)solution.
In view of the fact that immersion is a major concern in development work,
trainees may find it significant to be guided by the following precept:

PRECEPT OF COMMUNITY IMMERSION

• Trainees should immerse in actual community life to get to know the social, political and economic
situation of the people.
 
• Trainees may also undergo certain changes like increase in knowledge about the social realities,
development of good values, empathy towards other people, improvement of social skills, among
others.
 
• Trainees should identify the community people’s interest and aspirations.

 • Trainees must recognize people’s resiliency and does not rob them of their right to have
community participation and determination of appropriate courses of action.
 
• Trainees should be aware of the gain-negotiated sanction- the acceptance derived from
community relations coupled with the right to conduct immersion activities.

 • Trainees must reflect on how their social analysis of the current situation is concretized in
community people’s lives. The analysis should have as much meaning for the trainees as for the
community.
 THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY IMMERSION

 
•Community Immersion is a version of service learning that is more
integrated with a student’s passion and interests, is longer-term and it is
related to the ongoing development of community and social justice issues.
 
•Community Immersion learning fulfills many of the school goals for
students-becoming involved citizens, learning through worthwhile tasks,
and developing leadership, advocacy and problem solving skills.
 
•Provides young people with opportunities to use newly acquired skills
and knowledge in real-life situation in their own communities; That
enhances what is taught o learned in school by extending student learning
beyond the classroom and into the community.
 THE FOLLOWING ARE THE FORM OF INTEGRATION IN COMMUNITY IMMERSION

• Home visits
 
• Living with selected families preferably with informants
 
• Informal discussions with individuals or group
 
• Sharing in household and community activities (cooking with
community host, clean up drive)
 
• Attendance in social gathering (fiestas,wedding, etc.)
 
• Assistance in production work (selling, farming)
 The Process of Community Immersion

• The community immersion process is a series

of interrelated and intertwined phases which
commences with the Pre-Immersion followed
by Entering the Community, Community
Integration, Community Needs Assessment,
Program or Project Implementation, and
Termination of the Project.
 Phase I. Pre-Immersion

• This phase regards the identification of the community where the

students will be immersed at Trainees will have to prepare themselves
physically, mentally, and spiritually for many tasks ahead. Trainees must
have waivers from their parents or guardians stating that they are
informed of the mandate to undergo the NSTP community immersion.
The school also needs to organize its own manpower, resources andthe
other technical needs. According to many who have undergone
immersion, the activities could be both exciting and exhausting.
• Aside from preparation of the trainees and the school, the community
is primarily the one to be
prepared and informed. With this, trainees must set up criteria in
selection of an area for immersion.
 • Area Selection
 Factors to be considered in area selection:
1. Groups or communities to be chosen belong to the deprived, depressed and underprivileged (DDU).
The marginalized sectors are your target clients because they are the ones needing your assistance more
than any other groups in the society.
2. Willingness of local groups and community leaders to work with you on community projects. This
goes to say that we should start with the people and work with the people.
 
3. Anticipated activities and demands fall within your available resources and ability to meet them. You
cannot extend what you do not have in the first place.
 
4. Presence of development agencies and other support institutions providing assistance to the areas.
Supporting agencies are probable resources waiting to be tapped that can provide additional financial
assistance when it comes to projects that are also within their type of service.
 
5. Stable peace and order situation. You have to put into consideration your own safety when you
conduct your immersion.
 
6. Accessibility. Successful community immersion also relies on how quickly and how often to can visit
the community. You have to take into account how much time you spend traveling, how much money
you spend for transportation or lodging. If you have been able to select an area for immersion based on
the foregoing factors, you can now proceed to entering the community.
 Phase II Entering the community

• To ensure the success in entering the community it is necessary to have community

mapping of the target area. This will help you identify the geographic coverage of the
project. It will also help point out the resources that may be used by the trainees in
the community and the relationship of people with
these resources.
 
• Angelito G. Manalili in his book Community Organizing for People’s
Empowerment(1990) remarked that
there are different ways of entering the community and these are thru:
 
• Ostentatious Entry- complete with banner and a general assembly of the people, the
community
ushers in the people who will undergo immersion or outsiders.
 
• Banking on the people's weakness
• outsiders sometimes enter the community through
catching people's attention. At times when community
people are in distress, they usually adhere to outsiders
like during economic crisis, emergency and disaster
situation.

• Academic Style of Entry

- Communities are often called social laboratories because
they are a place to test the theories learned in classroom
• People Centered Approach
- this approach ultimately believes on the capacity of the
community people to participate and acknowledge
whether outsiders assistance is really needed.
 Phase II Entering the community

Integration is a continuous process wherein the trainees come into direct contact and become involved
with the community people. This phase is where the immersion phase gets more personal. The trainees
should realize that there is an existing concern within the community. As the problems of the
community become more apparent, you become aware and validate that you are part of the circle.
• Integration may be done through :
 
• A. Boarder style. If provisions allow, the trainees may choose to stay and live in the immersion area
for a certain period of time. They may live in the community
 
• To pursue deeper knowledge about the community. However ,the boarder or guest status will still be
the regard of the people toward them unless they integrate themselves fully with community life.
 
• B. Elitist style. Some trainees tend to stay close to key informants and political player during their stay
in the community. Due to this, their social circle become limited and their interactions is confined to a
few people. Immersion activities must always take into account the involvement of the majority.
 
• C. But the best way is the people centered method of living with the people.
 
 PHASE IV - COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT

• • Needs assessment, social analysis or community diagnosis as others

refers to, is a concrete base for the formulation of programs. It
reflects the sentiments, needs, aspiration and recommendations of
the community people. When it is done properly, it will reflect also
the trainee’s feeling of oneness with the community. Assessing the
needs of the community is a prelude to effective program offered to
clients.
 
• Community Needs Assessment Defined Community needs
assessment is the process wherein problems, issues and concerns of
the community are identified through the use of several tool for
assessment. It encourages the participation of the community, as
they are the stakeholders, to the findings in the assessment.
 Information to be included in Assessing
Community Needs
1.Historical development - this refers to data on how the community become what it
is today and
provides insight into the kind of resources to collect and weed.
 
2.Geographical and transportation information - this includes information on the
community’s patterns and population contribution.
 
3. Political and legal functions -this includes strategies that community uses for
selecting players in the political sphere.
 
4. Demographic data - this includes data on age characteristics, size, race, and
transience of population.
 
5. Economic data - this refers to the economic to the economic base, social, cultural,
education, recreational organizations.
 Methods in Collecting Data for Community
Needs Assessment
1. Focused Group Discussion (FGD) with Key
Information
2. Community Forum/Assembly 
3. Public Records
4. Survey
 ASSESSMENT TASK #2 (5pts,each)

Answer the following questions.( Expound your answers on your own words)
 
1) Discuss the first 4 process (phases) of community immersion on your own
words.
 
2) What is community needs assessment? Why is it important in formulating
NSTP projects?.
 
3) What are the information’s to be included in assessing community needs?
 
4) How are data collected for a meaningful results of community needs
assessment?
 WHOM DO YOU IMMERSE WITH IN THE
COMMUNITY

• When one goes to a community, he/she associate with the people whom he
intends to work with as his partners or allies in the community. Examples of these
community partners are the parents, youth, the differently-able constituents,
professionals, members of the people’s organizations and other formal and
informal group, and others who can be a potential collaborator of your project or
activities. We do not just work for and serve the people but rather we encourage
their participation. This practice of enjoying people’s support is adherent to the
Confucius’ philosophy of “give man a fish and he will live for a day; teach him how
to fish and he will live for a lifetime.” Community immersion is empowering the
people towards development of the locality.
 
• Community-based service projects must be premised on the principle of people
empowerment and not the ‘dole-out’ mentality. Teach people how to fish so that
they will live for a lifetime.
 WHAT CONDITIONS MAY QUALIFY ONE TO GO
INTO COMMUNITY IMMERSION?
• It is so desired that one fundamental pre-requisite qualification among those who
intend or are tasked to undergo community immersion is a full understanding of the
concepts and theories behind the dynamics of groups and community. In the same
breath, knowing the very process of immersion is a primordial condition. This is so
because this endeavour requires a great deal of know-how and skills in facilitating
interventions, planning and managing community service projects, among others.
 
• Training-wise, community developers/organizers and social workers are most
qualified because it is assumed that they have more or less formal background on
carrying out these kind of undertaking.
 
• As for NSTP, students enrolled in NSTP-CWTS are mandated to under community
immersion for a period covering a minimum of 54 hours to a maximum of 90 hours
as cited from prescribed Program
• of Instruction(POI) 2007 edition.
 WHAT YOU SHOULD DO DURING ACTUAL
COMMUNITY IMMERSION?
• Familiarize yourself with the basic information and theories regarding community
life.
 
• Secure a waiver from the NSTP office prior to the visit and have it signed by your
parents.
 
• Always inform the faculty in-charge of your destination, timetable and plan of action.
 
• Be armed with the background information about the area for immersion.
 
• Pay courtesy call to community leaders whether formal or informal.
 
• Secure like documents such as later of acceptance from the community.
 
 WHAT PERSONAL GAINS/BENEFIT MAY A
STUDENT GET FROM COMMUNITY?
• The community immersion aspect of NSTP will be able to benefit not only the
communities served but more so the student-trainees who may be accorded with
the following advantage:
 
• Opportunity for students to comprehend people’s lives.
 
• Gain social acceptance derived from community relations.
 
• Enhance experiences in conducting surveys and researches.
 
• Establish rapport and relationship with different people.
 
• Develop their conscientization ability.
 
 Answer the following questions( 5pts. Each)

• What is work immersion and it’s purpose?

• How can the Community Immersion helps the students or
trainee?
• What do you think is the benefits of Community Immersion to
the Community

END OF PART 1
 
• Note: Part 2 of this module(Community Immersion Proposal)
is to follow.