Marissa Areola is a high school mathematics teacher at Barton High School, where she teaches 11th and 12th grade students. Marissa travelled to the U.S. on Greenheart’s Teach USA Program.She brings nearly a decade of teaching experience, including five years in the Philippines and four years in her teacher cultural exchange program. Mrs. Areola is passionate about helping students develop confidence and strong critical thinking skills through Mathematics. She strives to create a classroom environment where every student feels supported and challenged. Beyond the classroom, she enjoys tutoring students during her planning period, building meaningful relationships, and spending time with family, as well as the Filipino teacher community and friends through cooking, conversation, and shared experiences.
Read on to learn about Marissa’s cross-cultural activity “Bayanihan Coin Drive” designed to support students in Greenheart’s J-1 Teacher Supports Typhoon-affected Students in the Philippines Through a Virtual Cross-Cultural Project.
My Cross-cultural Activity: “Bayanihan Coin Drive”
I co-organized a Bayanihan Coin Drive with a local Barton teacher to support students in the Philippines who were affected by a typhoon. We invited students to bring different coins each day of the week:
- Day 1: Pennies
- Day 2: Nickels
- Day 3: Dimes
- Day 4: Quarters
- Day 5: Dollars
Each day, students excitedly gathered to pour their coins into a large collection bucket. Watching the bucket fill throughout the week created a sense of teamwork and shared purpose across the whole school.
Teamwork and Collaboration Met with Appreciation
After the Coin Drive ended, we sent the collected funds to our partner teachers in the Philippines. Together, we coordinated the purchase of hygiene kits and school supplies for students impacted by the typhoon. Our partner teachers also showed their students a video of Barton students pouring coins into the bucket. In return, the Filipino students recorded heartfelt thank-you videos, which I shared with the whole Barton community. The students were thrilled to see that their efforts made a real difference and that children in another part of the world appreciated their kindness.
Bringing Communities Together
The Coin Drive brought the Barton community together around a shared act of generosity. Students learned the importance of giving, teamwork, and empathy. Watching the thank-you videos gave them a tangible sense of connection to the Filipino students they helped, sparking conversations about global community, culture, and the Filipino value of bayanihan. For the students in the Philippines, the hygiene kits and school supplies offered both practical help and emotional encouragement. They felt supported and seen by peers across the world.
The Cross-cultural Activity Advanced my Personal and Professional
This project strengthened my collaboration with a fellow Barton teacher and maintained strong relationships with partner teachers in the Philippines. Overall, the activity fostered compassion, cultural understanding, and meaningful international connection.
Thank you, Marissa, for sharing your remarkable cross-cultural activity with us! We wish you a wonderful rest of your Teach USA Program, and all the best in your future!
Is your school ready to host highly qualified international educators to contribute to the learning experience of your students and communities? Visit HostGreenheartTeachers.org to apply to host today.
If your school participates in one or more of Greenheart’s cultural exchange programs, your school will be eligible for up to $4,000 in grants as a Greenheart School. Learn more by visiting GreenheartSchools.org.