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.
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