Community Engagement And Service Giving

An effective high school social studies teacher challenges their students in a way that promotes authentic intellectual work and thought provoking discussion in the classroom. However, educators must raise the bar for what they expect out of younger students. Middle school students are capable of high quality work, but they need guidance. As with other subjects, a basic understanding of citizenship and civic engagement need to be developed early on in education. After interviewing a group of middle school social studies students about the importance of civic engagement and the purpose of social studies, I learned students are not given as many chances to grow into productive citizens who have formed their own thoughts and opinions until they

As an aspiring 16-year-old living in the 21st century, it is important to expose young minds to the real-world and edify the importance of involvement in the community. There are numerous reasons why it is important for youth to be involved in the City Government and our community. Furthermore, it is important for young people to become more involved in our community so we will be able to sustain a perfect society for the city.

Last May, I traveled with Alternative Breaks to New York for community service. During this service, I worked with Meals on Wheels who dedicate their time to provide food for the elderly of Manhattan. As I delivered the food to the seniors, I got a sense of fulfillment because I made them smile by providing them with food. Thus, I chose MDC’s Single Stop because I wanted to make a difference in my home campus by providing and assuring nourishment to those that do not have it just like I did in New York. As my first two years of college comes to an end, I wanted to leave a mark of my own here at home at Miami Dade College North Campus. During the month of September, I decided to partner up with a few of my peers to serve at MDC’s Single Stop.

Knowledge is more than the facts you know, and learning is more than just gathering information. The four keys of learning are critical thinking, independent research, interdisciplinary learning and civic engagement. These elements require real comprehension of the subject, investigation on a personal level, looking at it from all angles and then doing something with the knowledge learned. This class not only required the use of these four pillars, but also has helped instill them in me. Consequently, I am better able to find truths, more prepared for my field and have a greater ability to help and communicate with others.

Community life and civic engagement are a huge responsibility of citizens, although it is not required by citizens, it is an important aspect of a proper citizen. Residents of a community have the constant responsibility of making the society around them reflect an advance in the eminence of lives in the community. The simple duty of any citizen is to give to the common good. Civic responsibilities are achieved by volunteering and choice. Volunteering, involving in positive organizations and aids, or tutoring people in certain subjects, are all ways that people can subsidize to the good of the community. Small deeds that seem to prosper someone in some way or the other is still a way of helping. To learn something from the assistance that one does to another, the deed does not have to be big, as long as the person providing the assistance is doing it with a good heart they can always acknowledge a lesson. Compassion and love is necessary in helping others. When people have the opportunity to help others they may not always get a gift in return, sometimes they may not even get a reply back. This is when the person has to realize that the purpose of helping someone is not for the thank you or the gift, but is for the satisfaction of their soul, betterment of the other, and the ability to learn a lesson. Assisting people needs to be done in a thoughtful and effective way for it to create a lasting impact on his/her self and on society itself.

lacking. Some very interesting points they touched on that stood out to me include how civic engagement affects intellectual and personal growth, but specifically about how this engagement is more than volunteering in the community, but rather engaging in and promoting ideas that work to solve problems, rather than applying a temporary “band-aid” solution. By maintaining a mindset that works only to temporarily treat the issues within a community, one is not truly an active citizen; combating the issues and working to eradicate the causes of said issues is what differentiates a

Pursuing a degree in Anthropology provided me with the opportunity to learn analytical techniques that facilitated an appreciation for unfamiliar cultures and belief systems. College shaped who I am today, allowing me to learn and grow in a challenging and fostering environment. Participating in service learning and study abroad had a profound impact on my education. Collaborating with the Appalachian Community Together (ACT) Office I participated in two Alternative Service Experiences (ASE). These programs allowed me to volunteer during spring break within the United States and abroad. Upon completion of my first ASE, I developed a drive to make a difference. Subsequently, I spent the next spring break in Granada, Nicaragua working with the nonprofit La Esperanza Granada teaching English in a local school alongside my fellow peers. This program was an extraordinary experience that had a profound impact on my outlook of service leading me on a path of personal growth and my commitment to serving the community as an active and informed citizen. Gaining the tools to effect positive change is my

As Key Club President, a fourth-year blood drive coordinator, and a University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics volunteer, I witness community service’s influence and encourage high school students to serve

Service was really good apart from them forgetting about our bread on the table until our starters had came out we noticed this because everyone else had had there bread before the starters and we never. They served everything really well they never leaned over anyone to serve someone else even though the chairs were close to the window the still managed to get round them to serve them the food. You could tell they had a lot of training and experience with this because they done everything wonderfully. They were also good at keeping a eye on how full peoples glasses were and if they were nearly empty the came and filled it up. The silver served each course and explained what was in each one.

Ever since I first heard about the Alternative Spring Break Program (ASB) I have always wanted to be apart of it. What really motivates me to join is the fact that I can be apart of something bigger than myself. Something that not only impacts my life but also the life of others. I want to meet new people and develop strong bonds with my fellow peers. I want to discover and experience different worlds and cultures other than my own. But most importantly, I want to help people.This year I plan to make my spring break amazing. I want to be out and about making a difference in this world. I know that being apart of the Alternative Spring Break Program gives me the opportunity to do just that.

I strove to continue my involvement in service upon arriving at the University of Wyoming. Though campus organization allowed me to contribute to both campus and the surrounding community through student government, Relay for Life, and similar events, I always felt like a visitor. My impact felt fleeting.

Although the majority of my specific activities did not involve working directly with the community, I quickly recognized that Fort York Food Bank shares and reflects a strong sense of civic engagement. Since I had few opportunities to interact directly with clients, at first I believed that my work did not represent civic participation. However, by understanding what my work really meant to the organization, I started to see my experience in a different way. In fact, I could recognize the actual significance of civic participation to the community, especially to excluded groups that need support in their lives. As Lai and Hynie (2010) argue, civic participation refers to any volunteer action that

Having to plan throughout the years of High School when and how you are going to get community service hours in can be very stressful in many ways. High School is when people really start buckling down and making sure to get everything done, from homework to studying for big tests. Being forced to do the extra three hours or so of work everyday could build a great deal of stress for students by taking away the time to do those things. It could also cut into the time to ready for the upcoming sports that many students take part in.

The reality of policing is that not enough devoted time and resources to building relationships with the people with whom law enforcement interact the most: disenfranchised, marginalized communities where jobs, hope, and stability are in short supply and violence, guns, drugs, and despair are all too common. And plainly stated, none of this will happen unless police leaders and supervisors constantly embody the traits they expect of their subordinates, and unless effective engagement is a required, critical, and measured area of job performance.

I chose to do my Community Engagement experience at Tree Street Youth in Lewiston, Maine. The mission of Tree Street is: