#servicelearning

[specialsaathi]

How can Parents help Other Parents?

Service learning series Lessons from the Ananth’s Adventures Project – 1 If you know one individual with autism, you know one individual with autism. We have all heard some version of this saying. This saying is worth questioning as it results in a mindset that can keep parents with years of experience from helping other parents. After all, since your child is so different from mine, I cannot…

[meganseaman]

Have you ever had a gooseberry? You need to!! Sour and then deliciously sweet! #adventure #servicelearning #socialtours #socialtoursnepal #unitedplanet #ursulinecollege #gooseberry #patan #kathmandu #nepal (at Patan Durbar Square) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpq2xkEDwfd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[xcagedravenxexperience-blog]

Day 5: Despite The Pandemic

Date & Time: 3-14-2020 9:30am - 5:15pm

Duties: Baumgartner Galleria Entrance Attendant 

Today was an unusual one, the news of the COVID-19 virus being classified as a global pandemic has been declared today. People are advised to stay at home, take precautions and keep clean. The morning meeting became quick due to all gatherings and events being canceled due to the pandemic. After talking with some security guards who were stationed near me, it became apparent how recent events are impacting people differently. When the museum opened, it wasn’t long until people began to show, but 2 hours into the opening of the museum we had only obtained 13 guests so far. This was highly unusual for the museum on a Saturday. As the day progressed the count rose but still came at only half the usual visitors. Throughout my shift I was thanked by visitors for being open and for keeping cleanliness in mind. Although I did a “open to close” shift again at the museum, I made time go by quicker by doing a few sketches of the building in my buckets of free time. When I came home for my shift, I was called by the museum saying they are unfortunately shutting down due to the pandemic. I’m thankful I got to spend the last day there, as well as the other experiences and people I had come to know at the museum. I hope that soon our lives can get back to normal. 

[hannanorland-servicelearnin-blog]

End of volunteering blog

 After my time volunteering, I found that La Causa is a beautiful place that welcomes all. I knew from the orientation that we would be helping a lot of families, but it was really cool to see the direct help we were. From the moment the parents dropped them off, to when they picked them up, I was surprised to see how well behaved the children were. I think they really enjoyed coming to the house and I did as well. I think the agency 100% fulfills its mission to “provide children, youth and families with quality, comprehensive services to nurture healthy family life and enhance community stability.” I think the only thing that might be standing in the way of particular problems is their space. Although caring for 12 kids is a lot, by expanding the size of their building, they could care for more kids at a time. A lot of employees expressed that they have to turn people away because they just don’t have enough space to do so. 

[spotsonmyapples]

Here are two of my (anonymous) students on civic responsibility. #amteaching #happyteacher #servicelearning #civicengagement #citizenship https://www.instagram.com/p/B5vlHS-pPbn/?igshid=dr29v8vni5tb

[danieldaymiad-blog]

Time Spent Volunteering at The Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee

To start, I have just finished my class of Service Learning for Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD). I have finally finished all of the intended hours for my class and with that being done I have done a various amounts of activities to help our community out. I started my work here around early June and finishing the start of august so about more than a couples months of service. 

The work there is about mainly becoming more in touch with how earth can provide a quality of living as well with how to treat earth and give back towards helping natural regrowth for all. When you are volunteering there you are prompted with several daily activities that vary in time and category of what you will get out of it. Mainly there are two different categories, giving into the community, and knowledge of the community. 

The “Giving into the Community” activities usually are about reaching out to an outside away from the area of Urban Ecology Center (UEC). These events are necessary because the UEC program has dedicated members that really love to give into the community that they are in. I wasn’t participating to much in these activities because of the fact that most of these required signing up for several weeks for them to really go out in the community. 

The “Knowledge of the Community” activities range from all different types of events but why I believe this deserves its own category is because of the fact that you earn knowledge from what your doing. Usually some of these activities aren't necessary on site but they involve taking care of the facility. Since you are there you are accompanied by a leader who is not only teaching you but getting there day to day job in of recording what they need to or tending something to keep it working and efficient. This usually means hands on work with in depth knowledge of what you are actually accomplishing in this activity. For example when I went to the “Snake Survey” activity in Menomonee Falls I learned a lot about why understanding Snake populations are important for the ecosystem in Milwaukee. We walked along a path next to the UEC and found pallets that were placed strategically in a sense to occupy snake housing. The pallets both provided a warm shelter for snakes during the day and also a cold shelter that was drafty enough for snakes at night. With each pallet we flipped over we noticed a number between 1-3 snakes under-each which we had to record weight, length, scars, and also pregnancy of the snakes. All of this information you can learn in one session with a kind leader that they always have at the UEC.

[eloraschulte]

First Day

3/1/19 - 4hr 30min - 2:00-6:00

Organizing, Sorting, Going through the ENTIRE art supplies section in the upstairs youth education room. There is a MASS supply of random assorted crafting and art supplies, however it seriously needed some attention, I spent a few hours taking things out organizing things and making sure everything had a proper home so I would be easier to put away later, this is also a very valuable thing to transfer to kids. During my internship at the WPCA I am required to focus on the youth empowerment week, planning working with the staff to come up with ways to promote it and plan it. I figured it was essential to make sure supplies were in order before that week comes to make it easier to plan and to execute. After this

I stayed a while and helped out with the after school activities, I got the opportunity to play games with the kids, made projects with them, and helped watch and entertain them. It was a good day, I got to know some the staff better and I enjoyed playing with the kids, however  I'm not sure if the parents pay for the after school activities and I would like to know, also because I want to continue making informational fliers and artistic posts for the center but I need more information like this to do that.

[saigeofservice-blog]

My Mission Statement

My mission is to take the lead in helping others find bliss as I find my own through creative expression. I enjoy leading by example. Oneness is something I value greatly in others just as I do in myself. I will always make it my mission to surround myself with my own truth and surround myself with others who vow to live by theirs, we so we can collectively serve a greater good.

[e-mogan]

Throwback our last service learning.. baru teringat nak upload the video. Thanks to everyone ❤️❤️❤️#servicelearning #fcsitunimas #unimasofficial #fcsit (at Kampung Pueh, Sematan) https://www.instagram.com/p/BquClL4lhxO/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=y173i6xeejzv

[specialsaathi]

How Ananth and I Play it Forward Daily

Service learning 3 This is our third article in our series on service-learning. As noted in my previous articles, service-learning 1 and service-learning 2 Service-learning is an approach for empowering neurodivergent learners by encouraging and guiding them in community engagement. Paying it forward means that rather than repaying someone we give to someone else. Paying it forward is a useful…

[meganseaman]

Explored Patan in Kathmandu before we went to see the kids #patan #lalitpur #kathmandu #nepal #servicelearning #unitedplanet #socialtours #socialtoursnepal #ursulinecollege (at Patan, Lalitpur) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpq03OaDa8r/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[xcagedravenxexperience-blog]

Day 4: Conquest

Date & Time: 3-7-2020 9:30am - 1:30pm

Duties: Mezzanine Wayfinder & Windhover Hall Feature Exhibition Attendant

Another Saturday like any other, the diverse groups of people came to visit the art museum to see the feature exhibition at the main entrance away from where I was located. Although my position was to float around the gallery floor, I did meet many people coming from all over to see the exhibitions and many where sad upon learning that the “Portraits of Milwaukee” was done. Overall my position today continues to teach me about community and social interactions; and discovering how many people appreciate art!

[hannanorland-servicelearnin-blog]

Agency Info

La Causa provides children, youth, and families with quality, comprehensive services to nurture healthy family life and enhance community stability. They provide child services when family emergencies arise, such as homelessness, domestic violence, or medical needs. For example, when a mom has post-pregnancy complications and needs to go back into the hospital, she can drop him off at La Causa and the child is safe to stay there during the day and/or overnight. It started in 1972 when two local Hispanic mothers sought to establish quality, culturally relevant care for their community. “With 17 children, they opened a center on Milwaukee's south side and named it La Causa, Inc. (the Cause).” It has served the Milwaukee area for the past 50 years. They have over 400 employees The Crisis Nursery is the only state-licensed center of its kind in southeast Wisconsin. They care for up to 12 children each night, and they can stay for up to 72 hours at no cost to the family. They also welcome donations for things such as hair brushes, bath towels, and washcloths, toothbrushes, and lotion. I heard from other volunteers that they renovated their building recently, but the program has pretty much always stayed the same, and with Karl in charge. It is part of United Way and has other divisions such as a Charter School, Early Education & Care Center, Crisis Nursery & Respite Center, Social Services for Youth and Adults and Administration.

[myycamp]

Guest Blog: Dear Ernst by Kenzie from Crew

dear ernst,

 there's something so magical about finally

pulling into the camp ernst property looking

across the lake at what will be your home for

the next week. you are ready to make

memories that will last you a lifetime.

 something so special about camp ernst is that

i never think a year can get better after the

last. but that is the complete opposite actually.

you are welcomed by so many friendly faces at

opening camp fire and you brace yourself for a

week that will fly by in the blink on and eye.

 i've always heard my counselors say that crew will

forever be their favorite year at camp and i

never understood why. all you do is clean

toilets and mop the floor. how could that be

fun?

 well week 5 of summer 2021 gave me the

answer to that question.

 it's sunday afternoon and you just finished

the hassle of making your

bed trying to stand on the ladder of your top

bunk. you take a deep breath and open the

door to your yurt ready to begin the best week

of your life.

 you gather on the pav to figure out

which kitchen you will be spending your week

in. you see your name under the valley

category and smile in relief that you got where

you wanted to be.

 When you are on crew you

will form strong bonds with everyone in your

kitchen by sunday night. When you are working

together with your kitchen you learn to use

each other to get the job done.

 when you are

on crew you gain respect from those who see

all the hard work you do. having a positive

mindset about the work you will do is so

necessary for a fun week.

 when you hear music you need to get up and

dance because the energy will bounce off your

fellow crewies and soon enough you will have the whole

dining hall on tables screaming taylor swift as

you laugh at all the pots and pans you still

have to clean.

 being on crew gives you responsibilities that

will test your hard work

and dedication.

 crew isn't all about work work

work because you also get to experience all

the traditional camp activities that you would

as a younger camper. whether it's playing tips

as the lake view pool or pushing each other off

the rocket on the lake.

 your kitchen will become your best friends

before you know it.

 as friday rolls around the tears begin to fall.

you wake up knowing this is your last year ever

being a camp ernst camper. the day goes by

quickly and soon enough your walking into the

dining hall to serve your last meal.

 you take a seat at the table just to hear your favorite

camp song come on. you find yourself crying

while staring at your shirt that is now covered

in wet tear marks. you look over to see one of

your new best friends crying as well. as

campers come to eat you continue to cry and

soon enough the whole crew is letting their

emotions loose.

 you have counselors and e-teamers giving you

hugs and telling you they

appreciate all that you have done for them all

week. your eyes now burn as you walk back up

camelback for the last night after a meal.

 You are now standing at closing campfire singing

"I will remember camp ernst for a long long time" you look

around to see the wonderful people you have

met. it's now time for the last crew devotion.

you sit crisscross applesauce as your body is

exhausted from a week’s worth of hard work

and a day full of tears.

 the counselors start

singing "today," "leaving on a jet plane" and

"never grow up." you sit there remembering the

week you just had and the memories that will

never fade.

 as you get into your bunk for the

last time you think to yourself "this is

goodnight and not goodbye" and you ponder

over the fact that you came to make friends and left with a family

                 -kenzie

Many thanks to Kenzie Huesman for sharing her letter and shining her light this summer. Crew registration for 2022 is now open for rising high school sophomores! 

[myreadables]

How Service Learning and Community Engagement Impacting Students during Pandemic

How Service Learning and Community Engagement Impacting Students during Pandemic

A Creative Approach Where Students Learn Theories in The Classroom and At the Same Time Through Community Engagement Reflect and Deepen Their Understanding of What Is Being Taught. Last week, one of my previous students approach me to share the recent school project that he opted to work on in the summer holidays. The project was all about community engagement of how to volunteer your time and…

[hfhowe1]

Service Learning - Blog #3

My experience volunteering at a soup kitchen, The Gathering: Running Rebels, will be a memory I will never forget. The hours I was able to put in while volunteering at this location, I was able to really learn and appreciate the different people I worked with. Volunteering at a soup kitchen really allows for the community to come together. Whether the people were rich or poor. Everyone is there to help out those in need.

One of the individuals I volunteered with was someone I will surely never forget. This individual’s name is Jerry (the man pictured above) and I believe he is from the area himself. It was mentioned by one of the other volunteers that he comes every single morning he can to help out, even when he does not have much himself. One of the times I went, before my car accident, Jerry came over to me and said, “you better fix that headlight young lady!”. Jerry is extremely noble and one of the kindest people I have ever met.

When volunteering in a place you may not be familiar with, or the neighborhood is not as nice, you might find yourself stereotyping either people or the community. Working at a soup kitchen helps tremendously by getting rid of those stereotypes and/ or prejudices. You really learn to get to know people before judging them.

Overall, I would highly recommend volunteering at The Gathering: Running Rebels. The individuals that volunteer are so kind and welcoming. Generally, the type of people that come in are college students, primarily from Marquette or University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, but there are also older volunteers and local community members that volunteer, like the cook and Jerry. Volunteering at The Gathering could lead you to meeting some new friends and it will surely open doors for you in the future!

Sadly, with the Fall 2020 Semester coming to an end, I will no longer be volunteering at The Gathering. Hopefully I can make some time in the future to go back and volunteer for a few hours here and there.

Happy Holidays!