A newly registered organization in the United States is positioning itself as a professional and advocacy resource for Filipino American teachers and multicultural educators, offering a structured program lineup that spans mentorship, visa navigation, scholarships, and international research.
The International Association of Multicultural & Filipino American Educators, Inc. — operating under the name IAM FAME, Inc. — was incorporated in Nevada on March 3, 2025. Its founders, Arsenio T. Manalo, Myleen P. Legaspi, and Eleuterio F. Timbol Jr., built the group around what they described as an unmet need: a dedicated support structure for Filipino educators working or teaching across national borders.
Central to the organization’s stated purpose is what it calls a “glocal” approach — addressing the needs of Filipino educators both within local communities and across international settings simultaneously.
The group has outlined an 11-point agenda covering a wide range of concerns. Among the more operationally specific is HOTS, or Help One Teacher To Succeed, which targets educators on J1 and H1 visas navigating the American school system. The program is framed as a companion initiative offering networking, professional guidance, and practical support for teachers in transition.
Other initiatives address the education pipeline more broadly. BALIK-DUNONG is structured as a mentorship program pairing veteran educators with newer teachers and students. BALIK-ARAL encourages advanced degree pursuit among working educators, while PEDAL — Professional Empowerment and Development Learning — offers workshops and leadership development programming.
On the student welfare side, SAGIP-ARAL targets learners at risk of dropping out by providing scholarships and school supplies. KISLAP focuses on donating basic classroom materials such as paper and pencils to students in underserved areas. The group also runs BALIK-TULONG, described as a financial assistance arm for students and educators facing economic hardship.
For the research community, IAM FAME has established DIVERSE — Diverse Insights, Voices for Educational Research and Symposium — as a scholarly platform for sharing best practices in multicultural education through international symposiums. The PEN OF WISDOM PROJECT focuses on literacy by supplying writing tools and books to support academic and creative development.
CARE, or Civic Action for Reaching Educators, mobilizes volunteers for community advocacy efforts on behalf of the teaching profession. SHINE rounds out the agenda as a recognition program honoring educators, students, and advocates for contributions to educational excellence.
The organization’s website is iamfame.uno.
