PACT Reflection 2

Avalon Edwards

October 8, 2015

3:15 pm - 5:30 pm

Opportunity Services Center

Alyssa Mendoza

amendoza@ivsn.org

After a few weeks, I developed a routine at the center. I help prepare snack for the kids, help them with homework or reading, and then play outside or with computer games. No more dramatic experiences ensued after my first day, and things remained calm. Aside from the usual shouts of "No fair!" at the computer lab, things are actually much calmer than at my previous jobs with children. After getting to know the kids better, I began to look closer at the program itself. My summer job at the YMCA had promoted healthy living and safety above all else. However, the Opportunity Services Center doesn't necessarily have the resources to accomplish the same things while also tutoring and providing for the kids. For example, snack every day was required to count as a meal. So the kids got sloppy joe's, pasta, and grilled cheeses every day after school. Given the privileged education I've received, I quickly grew concerned with what clearly seemed to be an unhealthy diet for young kids. Aside from their meals, they were given cookies or chips nearly every day I volunteered. Additionally, access to physical exercise was lacking. The courtyard for the kids to play in is far too small to accommodate for more than 2-3 kids, and thus the rest are relegated to the indoors. Because they get free choice in their daily activities, all of the remaining kids choose to play computer games instead of read or draw. I'm still trying to figure out a way that I can address these problems with staff from the center as I continue to volunteer. Hopefully we can educate the kids about healthy eating and living and at least help them to live that way while they're at the center. 

PACT Reflection 1

Avalon Edwards

September 24, 2015

3:15 pm - 5:30 pm

Opportunity Services Center

Alyssa Mendoza

amendoza@ivsn.org

Before beginning my PACT project, one of my biggest concerns was a potential language barrier between myself and the kids I would be tutoring and hanging out with. I had a stereotype in my head of the kind of kids who would be at the Opportunity Services Center after school program. Nonetheless, I had worked as a camp counselor for many summers, dealing with hundreds of kids. I figured that this couldn't be too different. However, upon my arrival on my first day, I was surprised in several ways. First, the kids all spoke english perfectly (of course, with the minor slip-ups that all kids make - pasghetti instead of spaghetti and "she were" instead of "she was"). The youngest kids needed help with their spelling homework, but this would be the same in any after school program. My assumption that the kids would be just like the ones I had worked with in previous years was extremely incorrect. For the most part, the kids wanted to play basketball and eat cookies and play computer games, just like anyone else. However, when it came to arts and crafts time, one girl began to scream and shout. She hit herself really hard, and administrators had to hold her arms down. I had been informed that some of the kids had PTSD from nights on the streets, and an array of mental illnesses including depression, anxiety, and ADD. Yet, experiencing these struggles in person, and on my first day, woke me up to the reality of their lives. They were not just like the kids I used to work with, and that difference was important to be cognizant of when interacting with them in the future. 

Blog Instructions

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR PACT ENTRIES

In lieu of writing one journal entry per PACT visit, you will write TWO blog entries (approx. 250 words each) about your PACT service work. You will write one entry after you’ve completed your first THREE visits to your site and the other entry after you’ve completed all FIVE visits. Post your entries to your advocacy’s blog so that your peers can see and comment on what you’ve done.

ENTRY CONTENT

1. Do not waste your 250 words describing how you got to the site or listing inconsequential details about every action you performed while there. Give us the information that matters. Analyze what was going on below the surface of your actions or interactions. Keep in mind the social issue(s) you are trying to solve. Surface-level entries will not receive full credit.

2. Consider incorporating answers to the following questions:

• Before beginning your PACT, you probably had preconceptions about your organization, your issue, and/or the population you were going to serve. What were they, and how did your PACT work challenge those preconceptions?
• Did you discover anything about yourself through your service work? Were you at all surprised by your emotional reactions over the course of your service?
• Do you believe you had an impact through your service? If so, what did you accomplish?

ENTRY FORMAT

At the top of each entry, list the following information. Then, skip a space and begin writing.

Your Name

Date and Time of PACT Visit

Organization Name

Supervisor’s Name

Supervisor’s Contact Information