Institute of
Skin Divers of Ateneo

VMO & Core Competencies

The organization is composed of skilled and responsible skin divers who aim to lead with compassion in inspiring the Filipino community towards conservation.

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Application Process

Our Application Process aims to form potential members into responsible and competent skin divers through lectures, hands on lessons, and opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills.

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Membership

ISDA welcomes people from various fields and interests and offers a Lifetime Membership, hence it is built upon the connectedness of its members.

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Projects

Before the pandemic, ISDA has held open dives that give the general public and the LS Community an opportunity to learn about marine life, the basics of skin diving during a day trip to the ocean.

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VMO & CORE COMPETENCIES

VISION AND MISSION
The Institute of Skin-divers of Ateneo (ISDA) is a skin diving organization in the Ateneo de Manila university that envisions a Filipino community that appreciates its marine environment, is aware of its prevailing issues and its role as interconnected with the whole ecosystem, and who is determined in pursuing its protection and conservation. We aim to form individuals who are skilled and responsible skin-divers instilled with the spirit of environmentalism as a means to lead the Filipino community in the pursuit of marine life protection and conservation. We are a group of passionate individuals who share the same love for the ocean, its wonders, and especially the marine life it sustains. We are committed to sustainable living and the promotion of marine conservation!

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CORE COMPETENCIES

COMMUNITY
ISDA is built upon the connectedness of its members as it follows a lifetime membership system. Our diverse set of members allows different aspects of the environment to be tackled in the pursuit of marine conservation.

ENVIRONMENT
Our members are called not just to awareness but also to action towards efforts that promote biodiversity, conservation, and sustainability to benefit all facets of the marine community.

SKILLS
Skin diving is a rigorous, and extreme sport. Thus, it is necessary for ISDA to foster and advance the skills needed for a skin diver. In becoming a better skin diver, a member also becomes a keen observer of the marine environment and thus becomes more committed to protecting the beauty found below.

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Application Process

Given the present context we’ve adapted our Applications Process to account for everybody’s workload any difficulties that we face given online learning. We’ve decided to stretch out our lectures into less intensive sessions to be more considerate of the different circumstances and contexts that we may come while we struggle through our situation

Regular Application Process
Applicants must finish BUC 1, the Inbound points, and participate in planning the Batch Project to become a Regular Member.
Upon completion the members are hereby granted Guppy status.

Lifetime Application Process
Due to the mandate of online classes, and the school admin limiting on-site activities, BUCs 3-6 and the Tests are on hold as of the moment.
However, Regular Members can start the journey to Lifetime Membership and attain the Backlog status by completing BUC 2 lectures, and the rest of the Advocacy Points.

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REGULAR APPLICATION PROCESS (ONLINE CONTEXT)
BUC 1 will be split into short and lighter lectures but in total will cover the following topics:
Environmental Principles, LNT, and Introduction to Skin Diving and the Marine LifeIntroduction to Psychological Safety: Empathic Listening + Available Resources to AteneansSkin Diving Equipment and Hand Signals + ApneaMarine Tagging
BUC 2 will also be split into lighter lectures and will be held in the second semester as optional requirements. The second semester's lectures will cover the following topics:
Dangerous Marine CreaturesFirst Aid Lecture: Marine EmergenciesDive Planning Lecture
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LIFETIME APPLICATIONS PROCESS
Basic Underwater Courses (BUC)
BUCs teach potential members the necessary knowledge and skills to become responsible and competent skin divers. BUCs 1 is a lecture on Diving and Marine Life, BUC 2 is a lecture on Marine Dangers and Propoer Responses to Marine Emergencies while BUC 3 will be a hands on First Aid Lesson. BUC 4 and 5 are pool sessions, while BUC 6 is an actual dive, giving applicants the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned.

Advocacy Points
Inbound Points: talks and lectures on relevant environmental topics and events
Personal Advocacy Points: a personal commitment plan related to helping the environment
Batch Project: a project in line with ISDA's advocacy, executed by the batch of applicants in partnership with a fisherfolk community

Tests and Checkpoints
In order to ensure that applicants retain the skills and knowledge needed to be a competent and responsible skin diver, different tests are held to assess the capabilities of applicants. This includes the Written Test, Skills Test, Interview, and the Induction itself to welcome new members to the organization.

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Membership

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP
ISDA welcomes people from various fields and interests and offers a Lifetime Membership, hence it is built upon the connectedness of its members. Our diverse set of members allows different aspects of the environment to be tackled in the pursuit of marine conservation.

Our Lifetime Membership is acquired through completing the Application Process until Induction.

REGULAR MEMBERSHIP
Regular Membership is attained through completing the Regular Application Process and is a status renewed yearly. Members are able to retain their status through assisting project committees, or committee members under officers of the organization. Regular Members are split into the following statuses, depending on how far they’ve gone through the Application’s Process.

Inductible
Inductibles are Regular Members that accomplished all the BUCs, Advocacy Points, and the Written Test, Skills Test, and Interview. People with the Inductible status are eligible to run for ISDA Core Team (the Executive Board of the organization).

Backlog
Backlogs are Regular Members that finished the Regular Application Process plus the additional requirements during the second semester: the lectures, personal points, and accomplishing the batch project. They will not have to repeat the parts of the Application’s Process that they’ve already completed the year prior to stay a Regular Member.

Guppy
Guppies are Regular Members whose membership is valid only for the given school year. They are people that finished the Regular Applications Process.

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Projects

ONLINE PROJECTS
Monthly Webinar
A webinar in line with our advocacy and/or about the environment will be held each month. If any important events or news coincide, then the webinar aims to discuss or include it as well.

Marine Mondays
Posters about marine facts designed to be interesting and easily digestible will be posted weekly.

Advocacy Spotlight
A series of posts each month will focus on any person or organization that has an advocacy in line with ISDA’s to help them promote and further their advocacy and projects.

Application Process
All potential members of ISDA are taught and trained the knowledge and skllls to become competent and responsible skin divers. The Application Process aims to impart environmentalism and an opportunity to get to know the ocean that ISDA fights for.

Formation
To ensure the well being of our applicants, a group leader system to check in on their wellbeing will be in place. This is supervised by the formation committee with applicants as group leaders.

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ON CAMPUS PROJECTS
Open Dives
Open dives give the general public a chance to learn the basics of skin diving and marine identification in a structured dive & learning session. It's an opportunity to see the ocean through new eyes.

Advanced Underwater Courses
AUCs are learning opportunities headed by members and resources speakers for members to bond and further their skills as skin divers. Continuously learning and polishing skills is important for the community.

Dive Leadership Training
DLTs are opportunities for members to hone their leadership skills. This is aimed to help hone the needed skills and mindset to be a responsible team leader for a dive.We constantly encourage growth and development in the member base.