Love For All Children

An advocate for inclusivity, Vanessa MoralesBalquiedra builds a space where young kids can dream, create, and explore.

- Chinggay Labrador

“The first time I taught kids was in high school. Our class had an immersion in Baguio and we were sent to teach less fortunate kids up in the mountains,” shares preschool teacher Vanessa Morales-Balquiedra. “That’s when I realized it’s what I wanted to do.”

It’s been 25 years since she first experienced the joys of teaching, and her passion for her profession hasn't waned.

Vanessa is one of the cofounders heading Kid’s First Discovery Space, a preschool that offers programs for both typically developing children and those with additional needs. The school, a brainchild of Vanessa’s for her thesis at the University of the Philippines’ Family Life and Child Development (FLCD) program, offers classes and integrated play groups for toddlers from 1 to 3 years old, as well as preschoolers from 3 to 5 years old. The primary vision for Kid’s First, as it is referred to, was progressiveness—it’s a space where kids can learn, play, make friends, and simply be children.

After graduating from FLCD, Vanessa taught at UP’s laboratory school, the Child Development Center. “That’s where I developed as a teacher,” she adds. Vanessa then pursued her master’s degree in education in New York in 1999 and returned home in 2004, wanting to give back to the community.

BUILDING A SAFE SPACE 

“I realized that there were some children who needed more help playing with others. Some kids needed more time to make friends, while others learned differently. Although we did not start Kid’s First as a school for children with additional needs, I definitely wanted kids of varied abilities to still be able to join us, play, and be kids.”