My Experience At My Service Learning Site Essay

For the last 17 years my father has worked with nonprofits to bring education to refugee camps in the most forgotten places on earth. He goes where the most basic services that we take for granted are lacking. All his efforts are made under the premise that education is the most liberating assistance of all. This early awareness of the abysmal inequalities that exist in the world has profoundly influenced my character and worldview. I carried out a variety of service activities in high school, all focused on helping leverage educational opportunities. My volunteer work allowed me to put my

I signed up to volunteer at a local nursing home. Because my father works there, I have been there many times before. However, volunteering there was very new to me.

A Service Learning project is one of the project requirements to complete the Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree through Ferris State University (FSU). My Service Learning experience was completed at the VA Medical Center (VAMC) in November, 2014. This paper includes details of the facility along with the contact information for the coordinator of the project. A description of my role as a volunteer, critical reflection of my experience, and a synthesis of the Service Learning are also included.

The service day on April 5th, really gave me a precious opportunity to have access to the life and health of immigrant persons from South America and their priorities in life as well as their consideration about health. This is my first time to help so many immigrant persons from South America check their blood pressure, height and body weight, and give them information about how to have access to free clinical and blood pressure control as well as weight management. I really thank Professor Raja, because it was she who gave us this precious experience to do service for and know this special population in USA.

I was able to witness some of these experiences first-hand through my volunteerism in soup kitchens and inner city schools. As the soup kitchen employed a restaurant-style design, while serving, I felt I was granting the patrons with the hospitality that they deserved. After observing first hand the effects of poor education, I began proudly tutoring young people in the hopes to quietly inspire them to set big goals and to prevail over social barriers. As a result from these experiences, I learned more about my fellow Philadelphians and began sharing their perspective on the

I spent most of my time at underprivileged schools. Being from a school district where every student received the same education without considering the student’s race, gender, and/or ethnicity. The one experience that has stood out to me was when I was helping a fifth grade student with his math homework. This student was really struggling with multiplication. I recalled working on more advanced math when I was in the fifth grade. This opened my eyes to see that these children were more than likely not receiving the same education I received when I was their age. After spending all afternoon with this student, he thanked me for taking the time to help him, saying that no one, not even his parents have ever invested that much time into his education. This was one more thing I did not experience; I had two parents who were constantly helping me with homework even to this

The stereotypes of people living in poverty in America are so deeply imbedded in our society. We as educators may need to examine our beliefs and open our mind to new interpretations of the behavior of those struggling without basic needs. Doing so, however, is the first step to improving our success and effectiveness with educating students in poverty and helping end the cycle of suffering. Educator’s attitudes and beliefs shape you tone of voice, your body posture, your facial expressions and your actions towards students. Working daily with students who are classified as living in poverty. I believe it is our duty as educators to work with student’s effect by generational poverty. One thing I do not see a lot of is help

For the Service Learning Assignment, I decided to volunteer at Northwind Rehabilitation and Health Care Center. My current interest is working in the medical field that deals with babies. The service learning placement that best fit my schedule was Northwind Rehabilitation and Health Care Center. This organization works with mostly senior citizens that need special care at all times. There were times where individuals that were not senior citizens that came there because it is not strictly a nursing home. The residents are not able to care for themselves and need constant supervision to ensure their safety. Some of the resident may require physical therapy. My responsibilities was to interact with the different residents on each visit and complete

My service-learning practicum takes place in the community setting at Connaught Elementary School in St. Catharines. At Connaught, I am doing a one-on-one mentorship with a grade eight student to help her with her transition into high school. I am at the school twice a week for a half hour; however this position requires a lot of pre planning outside of the school, in order to effectively help her with her transition. My tasks include preparing different activities for each time I go into placement. Our first few weeks consisted of preparing a resume for my student so that in 2-3 years when it comes time that she starts applying to part-time jobs she has a resume already put together, which she can add things and take things away from. Along with resume preparation, we have done a job interview role-play where I am the interviewer and she is the interviewee. In this time, we have had fun days where she would make popcorn, with two other students, and sell it to other classmates. My student has had a lot of problems with a bully, and she has an issue of being assertive to other people- meaning she finds it difficult to state her opinions and she easily gives in to other people. With that, I brought two jars from home and I turned them into “problem” and “solution” jars where we filled each up with a problem and a few solutions to that problem. My position is extremely important because I am a mentor to this student and our relationship involves support, patience, and

When I was working in Puerto Rico, I was in a private school, where the SES background of my students was different from mine, but in the other direction. Parents were educated, with bachelor's and masters, wealthy, while I had a lower salary and was under the poverty level. Students wanted to learn and did what they had to do. Now that I teach in another school in the U.S., where students were born and still live in poverty, it is difficult for them to focus and do their jobs. My students are living difficult times, especially in their home. According to The American Life (2012), if a child had four or more adverse situations in their life, they are 32 times as high of having learning and behavioral problems. My perception and assumptions about my students SES can affect their learning, however, I am aware of that, and I treat my students in the same way. I can put myself in “their shoes” and understand why they behave the way they do it. I can probably understand, in one way or another, their difficulties because when I was a child, like no having meat to eat, or to have just water in the refrigerator, or have no money to buy something that I need for school. However, my mom worked a lot for me and my brothers. My brothers and I always received free breakfast and lunch at school. Now, thanks to the sacrifices of my mother, I am where I am. I need to remember every day where I came from to put my perception and assumptions aside and help my students each day in their learning process and experience. Also, I do not feel that the difference between my SES my students SES affect the way I teach to

Our service-learning project required one of the following opportunities to be fulfilled, which are: to attend a service of different religious traditions, for a non-practicing individual to seek out someone who is, or to interview a religious leader. While attending a service, spending time with a religious person or conducting an interview we are to pay attention to differences and similarities between religious traditions or our own self. For my service-learning experience I have selected to reach out to my older sister who is part of a Jehovah Witness congregation. I selected this opportunity since I’m a non-practicing Catholic. I will share my service- learning experience by sharing our discussion regarding

I grew up as a at risk child who live in lo income housing and lost my mother at the age of two years old. Today the demand as impact the lives of children to be delayed in schools, drop out of school, addition to drugs and crimes. I love to show the children at risk their is hope and some dreams come true if you work hard and gain high quality education. My passion and personal experience for teaching children and families at risk have allowed me to use my creativity and wisdom to help other children and families at risk within my community to reach their individual goals to become successful in reach their full potential as productive citizens. I live with my father auntie who live in poverty as a senior citizen in low- income housing and

Starting out at the American Cancer Society I never thought I would actually look forward to waking up at 6:30am to walk all the way there, but the more I volunteered the more I was looking forward to Thursday mornings and seeing all the wonderful people who work and stay there. Service is an extremely important part of being a leader. A big component of being a leader is connecting with others. Service is a great way to get out there, meet new people, and gain new perspectives. Being a service-oriented leader will help you connect with more people and build relationships within your community. Servant leadership is being able to provide that service, while also being able to reflect on how you are

For my service improvement project I thought that it would be a good idea to produce a leaflet for patients containing information about the nursing team the leaflet would be freely available to patients being located on the wall of the waiting room along with other information leaflets. It would also be a good idea if the leaflets were made available in reception, as this is the patients first point of call, it may be possible to place the leaflets on the reception service area or in a close proximity. In addition, the leaflets could also be located in the GP rooms for issue to patients and they could also be given out by the nursing team , at the end of appointments, for future reference . The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement (now

The Society for Experiential Education defines service learning as, “any carefully monitored service experience in which a student has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is learning throughout the experience” (Staton 1). Service learning is a great opportunity to get extra learning experiences while also experiencing the community around the universities campus. “Service learning allows students to apply what they are learning from their instructors, peers, and readings to genuine tasks that occur outside the four walls of the classroom while simultaneously helping others” (Staton 1). Universities are using service learning to expand beyond the classroom and provide students with experiences that will