In The Service of What? : Reflection

In the article, In The Service of What? by Kahne & Westheimer, it talks about how service learning helps improve the classroom. I believe that this is very true. I feel as though service learning helps a student, or anyone to be exact see different perspectives about life or scenarios. Every year, I try to do at least 1 or 2 community service activities. A few years ago I volunteered at the YMCA with birthday parties and the kids room. I helped the staff set up, help organize the party, and helped clean up afterwards. For the kids room, I had to be in the room and play/keep the children entertained. The room had a bouncy house and a bunch of toys in it to keep them busy. The energy that room gave off was incredible! Kids were always laughing and having so much fun that you couldn't stop smiling. Children would come up with you and ask if you could play cars with them and you would. It was a really great experience. And thanks for having a ton of fun at the Y, I applied and got hired as a Membership Staff for my first job! (It was super easy, I greeted people and had to help them sign up and pick classes)

A second activity I did recently took place in Mexico. My entire family is from Mexico so when we went down over the summer for the first time is was really fun. My service wasn't involved with an official organization but instead with my grandmother and her neighbors. I speak fluent Spanish so it was not difficult to communicate. I helped in sewing some school uniforms for children in the area. Also, I learned how to wash them too. Washing the clothes was a bit different over there because they didn't have washers and dryers so we used this big tub and a washboard. That act was something that I will never forget. Seeing the kids faces with their shiny clean clothes  made me so incredibly happy and I learned that washboards are a very good source of exercise too! While I was there I  also helped them learn English. A good amount of children and I would sit in my grandmothers yard and I would help them with their homework. I felt like a teacher and that made me so happy.

Everything that I experienced over the summer has made me the person I am today. When I was reading this article I thought of the Johnson piece, Privilege, Power and Difference. Every time I think of it I think of the line, "Change how we think so we can change how we act." This is so true: we need to change how we act. Thanks to do community service and the service learning requirement my eyes have opened a little more. I am seeing the world with more experience and want to help others out even more.

Thoughts for class: How many of us have done community service? Does it change your life? Do you feel better after doing it? What types of community service have other classmates done?

https://students.ucsd.edu/student-life/involvement/community/reasons.html
https://www.teenlife.com/blogs/articles/50-community-service-ideas-teen-volunteers