Project Description

Help kids with their writing, creativity and English skills.

Project Description

Reading Buddies is a program intended to bring the best of two worlds together. This program infuses mentorship with advocating an interest in leadership and literacy. In this program, students from the University of Maryland would volunteer once a week to read books to elementary school children located in Prince George's County, very close to the University.

Project Description

"To Mexico, with Love" (https://mexico.uc.iupui.edu/) is a cultural immersion and service-learning program offered at Indiana University-Purdue University. TMWL participants study abroad in Cuernavaca, Mexico, at the school of IDEAL (http://www.ideal-school.com/), for one month and they also volunteer at designated community sites. This year a team of 16 will be building a library at the La Lagunilla community center!

The IUPUI University Library Diversity Fellowship (http://www.ulib.iupui.edu/about/diversity/fellows) is collaborating with TMWL in order to organize and set up this library. The Fellows are working on doing inventory of books and other library materials that have been donated, and then they will create an effective catalog system for the school (there are no computers at La Lagunilla). The Fellows have also been accepted into the program and will be traveling to Mexico to partake in the study abroad, and they will help in the construction and organization of the library!!

"To Mexico, with Love" is accepting donations of easy-reader books, easy-readers in Spanish, English to Spanish books, educational books,adult books and anything else to build up the new library at La Lagunilla. The community center serves about 80+ children and mothers.

Project Description

When people think of history, it usually conjures up memories of dry facts, such as names and dates that hold no meaning anymore – if they ever did. History is seen as a boring topic to many, but I know that this is not so: history is all about people, just like us, with fascinating stories to tell. Students, particularly younger ones, are especially vunerable to this: history comes out of a book for them, and it should not be like that.
The project was an interpretive history program entitled “History – Alive and in Person!” to take into the district Elementary Schools and perform for the students since I love working with children. In order for this program to take place, I arranged meetings with the district superintendent to receive permission, sent letters to the principals to schedule dates, picked characters from various time periods, created identities for them, researched their time periods and developed their stories, chose students to play the characters, found appropriate costumes, composed both student and teacher evaluation forms, and finally, presented the program.
The program was set up so that there was a character in each room, and the elementary students rotated through every seven minutes. During the seven minutes, each of the characters spoke about what life was like for them, how they felt, what they thought – the side of history that’s often forgotten. There was a man from the Revolutionary War, who argued that America did not need to be her own country, a pioneer woman who talked about the hardships of traveling the Oregon Trail, a soldier from the Civil War who told students about the conditions he was forced to survive in, a Victorian woman who spoke of the expectations for women and fashions such as corsets, a child laborer who talked about the horrendous conditions and hours spent in factories, a flapper from the roaring twenties who spoke of the culture and taught students how to do the Charleston, and a World War II soldier who told students whatever they wanted to know about the war.
The program was a great success, and they've asked us to present a new one next year!

Project Description

For the fourth year in a row, Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA is serving with Touch the World Ministries, based out of Allendale, NJ to bring a team of students to Juarez, Mexico as an alternative spring break trip. We will continue on the final stages of construction on a school that was begun in 2005. Over 100 Mexican children are being sponsored by families in the US for $30 a month, an unthinkable price for such a poverty-stricken community. This community of Felipe Angeles used to be a garbage dump, and the families there have built their homes out of whatever they could find. This year, our team will be working with the families in support of the school to improve their homes and break through poverty. We have formed lasting relationships with the children there, even though they only speak Spanish, and most of us do not. By breaking down the language barrier, we have learned to communicate with love to children starved for attention. This Christian school has increased the faith of everyone in the community and the improvements each year are astounding. We need to raise $450 each plus plane tickets, but we have faith that we can do it, though we'll need all the help we can get. We know that we've been blessed with so much, and we have to give back that much more.

Project Description

As Jayden read aloud to me, his index finger trailed across the page, instilling some kind of magic into each word. When I glanced around at the miniature bodies and felt the energy that could only be radiated by fifth graders at 3:30 in the afternoon, I was happy to be at the Homework Helper tutoring program.

I first discovered the program as an opportunity to become involved in the community in a new way. Two dozen struggling children at the elementary school gathered for an hour after school each day to get help from one overwhelmed teacher, Mrs. Rhodes. Needless to say, some days became scenes right out of a comedy movie, as the children would rather pass their chapter books like Frisbees rather than read them. But I have always valued the children’s vibrancy, and I sought to turn it into an enthusiasm for learning.
When I became a tutor, I realized the program was sadly understaffed, with only the occasional high school volunteer seeking to complete mandatory community service hours. I began recruiting my friends for help, and when I ran out of willing friends, I brought the program to the attention of my high school’s Key Club. As vice-president, I explained the program in front of club members as well as on the morning announcements. I organized a sign-up at each meeting so that members could take turns tutoring. But because Key Club has many other service projects, the club advisor felt it was only appropriate to make Wednesday the Homework Helper day, instead of allowing members to sign up for all days of the week. At first, I was disappointed because I envisioned tutors at the elementary school every day, but I eventually agreed that other service projects were also important to the club. These days, two teenage volunteers work with the young pupils each Wednesday, and for the other days, I am there. Kyle Elementary School recently started a similar program. Ultimately, my goal is or all the elementary schools in Troy to have a tutoring program. I hope to accomplish this by contacting the other elementary schools and by recruiting more high school volunteers by bringing Homework Helper to the attention of the other clubs I participate in, such as National Honor Society and Student Government.
I am regularly befuddled by the fact that five different kids can have five different issues with the same math problem. For one child, only sports analogies bring the numbers to life, whereas another understands best when cartoon illustrations animate the equations. But I know when a child finally understands something when he asks questions based off of his newfound knowledge. I hope that, by receiving one-on-one attention from teenagers closer to their age, these students who once thought of themselves as stragglers now think differently about their potential to learn.

At day’s end, the students stuffed their papers into their bags, as if filling cornucopias. I stayed a little longer so Jayden could finish the chapter he was reading. He announced to me that he planned to finish it tomorrow, and although he had only managed to navigate the first fifteen pages that day, it wasn’t hard to take full faith in his confident words. And when the last of the whirlwind of children had left, Mrs. Rhodes and I stared at the convivial mess of uncapped glue-sticks and shreds of construction paper, and we fell apart in laughter, each sharing the same feeling. Spending time with these children was worth every ounce of the effort. And when my high school peers tell me how much they enjoy working with the kids, and I see the young individuals finally understanding their schoolwork, I am most certain that joy can be multiplied by people who are willing to share it.

Project Description

Project Now is a community outreach program funded by the Introspective Psychoanalytic Services, a club at John Marshall High School, Los Angeles, CA. Project Now was started by the IPS committee to primarily educate elementary school and middle school students about the importance of self-esteem, optimism, self-motivation, education and social perspectives (gangs, dropping out of school, violence, drug abuse etc.).

Our Purpose:

We started Project Now because we feel that it is crucial that children are tended to emotionally so that they may grow to become successful and intellectual individuals later on in life. Our passion towards helping children is unimaginable and something that should not be ignored. Too many people tend to simply shake their heads at issues that are existent in our community today, but those same people rarely work towards actually solving those issues. It breaks our hearts to see people struggling with drugs, gang life, poverty, depression and violence, knowing that if someone had turned to those same individuals when they were younger, those problems may have most likely been prevented. As role models, it is our responsibility to take a stand and work towards preventing further social issues that children may confront later on in their lives.

What We Did:

During the month of March the Project Now cabinet formulated lesson plans for the elementary school students. The lessons were about optimism, self-esteem, self-motivation, higher education and social issues. Moreover, on several occasions, Amirah, Sofia and Misael visited local elementary schools to organize dates for the school visits. The following schools accepted Project Now: Atwater, Micheltorena, St. Casimir School, Los Feliz, Ivanhoe, Allesandro, Rosemont and Mayberry. However, the staff was only able to visit; Rosemont, Allesandro, St. Casimir, Los Feliz and Atwater in April, saving the other schools for the months of September and October. After the school dates and lesson plans were finalized the entire Project Now staff met in Griffith Park to exercise their pubic speaking skills and to practice the lesson plans. Throughout the month of April, all of the Project Now members proceeded to make their two-day visits to each of the schools for one hour per day. We talked to a total of 600 students in local elementary schools (5/6 grades & 1 8th grade).

Results:

Project Now was a true success, considering the principals and teachers are willing to have us return. The students enjoyed our visits and we are certain that we made a difference. We hope to continue the program into our college years and eventually establish it as a non-profit organization!

Project Description

I strongly believe that young children need positive role models in their community. In my town, however, there is no way for students in elementary school to meet or personally connect with high school students, many of whom would be happy to spend time with the younger members of our community. Because it is so important for young children to have someone to look up to, I'm going to establish a mentoring program between high school and elementary school students, called ELEMENTORING.

For most high school students in town, life revolves around our own school and extra-curricular activities. By reaching out to the children of our community, high school students will be able to break out of their normal, self-centered routines. Facilitating the mentoring program will help high school kids understand the importance of being a positive role model and the value of giving back to the community. Elementary school students will have the chance
to interact with high school mentors, ultimately providing them with an older, responsible friend (who is not a parent or a teacher) with whom they can freely talk or ask for advice.

www.elementoring.pbwiki.com
password: wifeofbath
contact:

Project Description

Today men are facing a crisis. Thirty years ago, men represented close to 60 percent of those enrolled in colleges and universities. In 2002, according to the most recent year for which figures are available, the percentage of male undergraduates on the nation’s campuses stood at 43 percent. That figure constitutes the lowest percentage for males since the middle of the 19th century. Because there are less positive male role models in the lives of boys and young men, males have gravitated away from the college path and, for some, towards negative paths. Males make up 75 to 80 percent of all arrests and account for 93 percent of the prison population. While these numbers continue to worsen for males, MEN OF CHARACTER OF VIRGINIA is an organization that will combat and reverse the negative trends of males, one young man at a time. MEN OF CHARACTER OF VIRGINIA will enable the young men in the organization to excel in high school as they make the transition to become college students.

The mission of MEN OF CHARACTER OF VIRGINIA is to make a positive difference in the lives of young male high school students, through monthly topic presentations, service projects, and organizational events, to assist them in achieving their highest potential as they grow to become knowledgeable, responsible, and cooperative college students with a commitment to community service.

The three components are Education, Service, and Fellowship. Through the Education Component, we will present an important topic each month including college, money management, and health. The Service Component allows the high school students to participate in service projects to help assist the community and to mentor at a local elementary school. The Fellowship Component creates a family atmosphere amongst the high school men and the facilitators in the program.

Project Description

Project HERO was developed to strengthen ties within the community and give students the opportunity to see the difference they can make in other people’s lives while having fun. While Kansas Wesleyan faculty and staff have supported the project, the effort was initiated by students and continues to be student led.

Project HERO day consists of a huge meeting lobby where all the site leaders make contact with their volunteers and hand out everyone their project HERO t-shirts. After everyone is gathered we bring everyone in and thank everyone for coming out and give a motivational speech before we send them out to work at their sites for a couple of hours. Then the coordinators drive to each site, making sure everything is running smoothly and that everyone is having a good time. Then at the end of the allotted time (about 4 hours) everyone meets back up for a diner so everyone can discuss all of the different activities and services they performed that day.

This year volunteers worked at The Land Institute planting trees and building up a damn; the Audubon Pond where trash, garbage and algae were cleaned up out of the pond; Rolling Hills Wildlife Refuge where we rebuilt and painted a viewing dock; the Food Bank where volunteers planted a garden for the hungry of our community; We spent time at the assisted living center Alterra Sterling House and Presbyterian Manor to add joy and involvement for the elderly; Indian Rock Park where volunteers picked up trash; and we completely cleaned up and renovated an elderly ladies home that lived a block away from our college. Additionally, a group of children from Big Brothers Big Sisters came to campus to do activities with Project HERO volunteers.

Pictures of this springs project can be seen at
http://www.kwu.edu/publicrelations/hero07fbg.html
http://www.kwu.edu/publicrelations/hero07irp.html
http://www.kwu.edu/publicrelations/hero07li.html

What we plan to do this year is expand the project to include volunteers from our neighboring college of Kansas State University at Salina, and have an additional Project HERO volunteer day in the fall semester. The main purpose of this day will allow the students of both colleges to work together for the betterment of the community of Salina, rather than being competetive. We plan to double the number of sites we have from 9 to over 18 different sites throughout the community as well as double the number of volunteers.