My service learning project took place at the FACETS organization of outreach and support towards the impoverished community of the Northern Virginia area. The facility is “dedicated to building strong families and safe communities through improving the quality of life for impoverished men, women, and children through comprehensive programs, addressing physical, spiritual and emotional needs” (Facetscares.org), and provided me with quite an extensive means of giving back to the community through various types of seminars and programming.
The most impacting thing I have been able to take away from my experiences with my service learning organization, is that no matter who you are, you should be appreciative and grateful for whatever luxuries you may have in life, for there is always someone who is worse off than you could ever be. Also, it was made very apparent to me that in a majority of cases and situations, impoverished families exist not because they made poor life decisions or because they are criminal drug and alcohol abusers, but rather their situation is caused due to a lack opportunities and means of accessibility. Like Sorapure’s article on the 5 principles of new media, modularity, meaning many-layered, these families and more specifically their children, have such a complex background and living environment/situation, yet all we see are their smiling faces and hear their laughter. The old saying “never judge a book by its cover” becomes quite applicable to these circumstances. Some families may not be able to afford nicer things like cars, computers, and actual houses for that matter; and all may be due to the fact that someone in the family may not have enough education or requirements for employment. My services in particular were aimed at the younger generation, a population of children growing up with a lack of necessary resources and affordances. We helped them with even the simplest of tasks i.e. homework, and provided them with a positive environment of both privacy and lack of temptations/peer pressures.
Picture Drawn for me by one of the children Aisha
Cute eh?
For my service learning site, FACETS, I volunteered for two programs, geared at allowing kids to reach their fullest potentials both academically and personally (ethically, physically, and socially). One of the programs, “Homework Helpers”, facilitated a time after the kids’ day time school hours, which provided them with the motivation and assistance needed to complete their assignments which they otherwise may not have obtained while at home. The other program which I was a part of was labeled as “Positive Action”, which provided not only us as volunteers and chaperones, but the kids as well, with an environment that is conducive to supportive and enriching behavior while educating them on the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco usage. The interesting part about this program, is that the information brought forth is both from us as volunteers, and from the kids; and originates from the world around us (media influences, peer pressures, and even personal testimonies). Just as John Markoff’s article “Web Content for and by the Masses” , the content which we generate and share with others, can be just as powerful, if not more powerful than anything found in an archive; the reason being, because it’s relatable and its applicable (to average everyday life, not just the noblest or powerful).
http://www.flagguys.com/img/mag77.jpg
The quality that I feel I possessed and was most contributable towards my efforts, would be my sympathy (being able to relate to the kids, having come from a lower income background myself, and using that as a means of opening up more doors for communication) as well as my assertiveness (being able to be direct and guide the kids back to an appropriate task orientation when they become rowdy and rambunctious). Even though I put forth the effort required for this Service Learning Project, I was highly disappointed to discover that I would not be gaining any technological skills, nor was my own personal experience in anyway related to technological outreach within the community. My volunteer efforts rested rather in physical interaction with the young children, and doing more of a hands-on community service effort. I feel that while my particular services were not technologically related, the impact I was able to have with the children (encouraging them to do their best in school, and to give them positive feedback not only on their accomplishments but on their future goals) was much more direct. I feel that this occurred because of the close, physical interactions. I was able to not only connect with each of the kids, but was able to give them my fullest attention and really make them feel appreciated, rather than a standard issue email or newsletter which contained no personality and no interest in the kids themselves.
If I were to do this entire experience again, one of the things I would change would be my schedule in regards to other responsibilities. While I feel I was able to make a pretty decent impact on the children while I was there, I would have liked to see just how much progress I would have made, had I not been doing my student thing at Mason, and not working in the meantime at another job. With the extra time, I quite possibly could have become more involved in the programming, possibly creating and executing one myself. Nonetheless I feel that with extra time, I could have gotten more involved, and been able to form even stronger bonds with the kids, in hopes that my positive influence on them can keep them out of negative situations.
soup kitchen picture source:
http://www.firstdecatur.org/files/Volunteer%20Central/FCC%20Outreach%202706218%20XSmall.jpg
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