On Thursday evening, July 13 from 7-9 p.m., PEN-International conducted a videoconference presentation with the College of St. Benilde in Manila, Philippines. The presentation topic was "Critical Thinking Skills", by Dr. Matt Searls, Assistant Professor in the Department of Creative and Cultural Studies at NTID. The workshop is described as follows:

"What kind of thinking skills do students need to succeed in college and beyond the walls of higher education? What are we doing to promote thinking skills among our students? What is critical thinking really? What strategies enhance classroom teaching and learning experiences for both the teachers and their students? What can I do to maximize learning opportunities in and out of classrooms?"

Approximately 20 individuals, mainly consisting of deaf and hard-of-hearing faculty and staff at CSB, attended the early-morning videoconference in monsoon weather. There was ample opportunity for dialogue throughout the presentation, with a lengthy Question and Answer period toward the end. The verbal feedback received was highly positive, with one participant stating "Congratulations. I'm really enjoying your presentation and I'm learning a lot."