Enka Middle School Creative Clubs for Students! by Kristen Muscaro

Narrative by Kristen Muscaro

 

I am the Student Success Coordinator for the Enka Community School Initiative at Enka Middle School in Candler, NC.  I work in tandem on the project with Anna Gettles who is the Parent/Community Engagement Coordinator.  Other partners involved in this initiative include: Hands On Asheville-Buncombe, United Way’s Middle School Success Initiative, Enka Middle School, and the YMCA of Western North Carolina. 

A large part of my job is to create new and enriching after school opportunities for students, and also maintain and improve opportunities that are already available for students.  So far for this school year, we have continued to offer two existing clubs created last year and have also created two brand new after-school clubs for students this year. 

The Creative Writing Club is in its second year of programming.  The club is a very enthusiastic group of 14 students who love attending our weekly meetings.  I have worked with the Language Arts teacher in charge of Creative Writing Club to strengthen the club curriculum, obtain teacher volunteer support, and bring in guest speakers with backgrounds in the writing field.  Our club goals are to continue bringing in speakers from different writing areas, improve writing skills and penmanship, and also to become more open to all areas in the writing field.  We also hope to publish a book that contains a piece of writing from each member of the club. Each student will get a copy of the book and one copy will go to the school’s Media Center permanent collection. 

The Service Learning Club is also in its second year of programming.  The club has spent most of its time developing and managing our Community School Garden and also volunteering weekly at our local food bank.  The students have learned about gardening practices, food insecurity, and felt the empowerment that comes along with helping others in need.  We have a total of 14 students participating in this club.

The Yoga Club is very new to the Enka Community School, and is in its second week of programming.  We have a total of nine students participating in the club.  The club is lead by a local volunteer/yoga instructor and a 7^th grade Science teacher from our school.  Although the club is in its early stages, the students in the club have said that it helped them relax after a busy school day.

The Knitting Club is also a recent addition to the programming offered by Enka Community School.  The club is lead by one of our school administrative assistants and is also in its second week of programming.  We have had very high attendance, and have a total of 15 girls actively enrolled in the club.  We also have several community volunteers who have attended the club to assist with our beginning knitters. 

Overall, I am having a great experience at Enka Middle and I think we are off to a great start for a successful school year!

Community Schools Collaboration!

Narrative by Dani Nispel

Community Schools Collaboration

Seattle, WA

I work directly in two elementary schools, places I haven’t spent a significant amount of time in since I was actually in elementary school myself. I’ve been helping to coordinate the after school programs. But mostly, I’ve found I’ve been doing a lot of listening. I’m listening to the counselors and what they think their kids and parents need. I’m listening to the family liaisons and what struggles they face. I’m listening to the PTA moms who want to support their schools as best they can. I’m listening to the kids who know that their parents work too many hours as it is.

I’ve worked with after-school programs before back on the East Coast, but those were with middle school students. I think elementary age kids are different, at least for me. I think it’s hard because for kids this age, a lot of things are out of their control. They don’t always get to choose if they’ll be walking home from the after school program, even if it’s dark out by early November. They don’t always get to control if they’ll get to school on time or get picked up on time. There are also some pieces that fall under the “ignorance is bliss” category. At this age, the kids don’t always recognize that they’re getting their dinner here at school because there won’t be food at home: it’s just fun to have pizza and yogurt after school. They don’t always understand that it’s a disadvantage to go home and have parents who can’t help with homework because they don’t speak English: it’s just a pain that they have to do their homework with us.

I get frustrated a lot, either because I feel like I don’t have enough to do during the days or because I feel like there are way too many avenues to start a project. But in the end, when the kids come in at 3:10 everyday and tell me about their days, those frustrations don’t really matter anymore. It’s worth it when a third grader comes in the next day excited because they remember how we did their long division homework together. Or when the parents reach out to me because they want to put together an MLK day of service at our schools.

The day-to-day work isn’t what’s hard. It’s hard because no one tells you what to do. You have to listen and understand and be a part of the community before you can make any kind of difference. But I’m glad I’m here. There are a lot of good ideas floating around. A lot of people who want to make positive changes at our schools. I’m glad I get to be a part of that.

National Service Video Challenge!

        

 

Hey Team, this is your March Monthly Story Prompt.  Looking forward to seeing all your great clips on

Why you Serve!

An Awesome Community Mentor

by Jose Armendariz serving in Santa Monica, CA

 

Juan is an energetic and positive resident of the Mar Vista Gardens community, and he is much more than a volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club; Juan is a role model for the young members of the club. When he enters the building, he greets everyone with a catch phrase that is his entrance call, “My duuude”. As soon as the kids hear his voice, they all gather around to greet him back with a huge group hug. This warm response from the children towards him is the result of a caring and significant relationship he has built with the members of the club through his constant and enthusiastic presence every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. During his time of service, Juan has given special attention to all the members of the club, their feelings are a priority to him because due to the empathy he has towards them. He does not want them to live under the same conditions as he did. Juan stresses that growing inside the public housing can be difficult, and he wants to impact positively all the children of the community. Also, his service to the club has been essential to sustain the VISTA programs we have created. What motivates Juan is his peculiar perspective to see life, he embraces a philosophy that serves as guidance for his volunteer service and future goals in life.

 Juan has been a great influence for the members of the club, and he seeks to change children lives for the better.  Juan’s goal is to become an elementary school teacher in order to have a tangible impact on the life of children. Therefore, he intertwines his career goal with his volunteer service experience.  He can be seen around the club engaging and brainstorming all sorts of activities. Also, Juan’s willingness to help aids some of the problems this particular Boys and Girls Club encounters. Practically he is an extra staff to rely upon, and he shows interests in all of the VISTA projects. He thinks our work as VISTA’s is crucial for the academic development of the children within the community. He usually supports us to sustain the programs with his direct service. Juan believes that through positive interaction with children, the cycle of poverty can be broken.

Juan’s personal philosophy grants him a great attitude to serve his community. He believes everyone is a mentor and that anyone can give an answer to a problem. That perspective to see people allows him to appreciate anyone’s conversation or interaction. Children really listen to him, and he really listens to the kids, which results in functional relationships. His positive and energetic attitude make a difference inside the building, children behave better when he is around. Also, his support allows the staff and us to do other projects as well. Juan is a valuable asset to the Boys and Girls Club of Mar Vista Gardens, and we want to thank him.

 

 

 

A Class Act

by Noemi Rodriguez

serving at Youth Policy Institute in LA

Miguel stood out to me as soon as I started my service here at Sylmar Biotech Health Academy. He always hung around the school offices after school and was not in the least bit shy around us newbie’s. Not long after our first day of work Miguel approached me with a request, to create his drama club for him. He definitely had a vision and a goal and knew what he wanted. I really liked that about him and appreciated it. Miguel is not the best student, grades wise, but he is very much involved with the school and is incredibly smart and imaginative. After completing all the paperwork necessary for there to be a drama club in our school Miguel got to work, letting me know that we needed to start advertising the club and raising money so that they can have some funds for props. Miguel is always thinking ahead and always ready to work. He has a great determination when it comes to things he is passionate about. Miguel was full of ideas and would bring them to my attention every chance he had. After our adventure working together to create the school’s first drama club Miguel became my go to advisor. I believe Miguel is filled with one great idea after another. A lot of the times he amazes me with some of the things he suggests, not only for the drama club but for other school activities as well. I now search Miguel out when I want to share an idea for a new program, I like to ask him for suggestions and also brainstorm ideas with him. His focus and commitment to his creative vision has really inspired me and has made a huge difference in how I run and create programming for this school. They are no longer my programs or my ideas but the students as well. It is a collaboration between myself and the youth who represent the school.  Not only that but the connection I have made with Miguel and students like Miguel have provided me with the drive and motivation you need to get a job like ours done. Miguel’s quick welcoming of me and trust in me helped relieve my first time jitters, allowing me to jump right into my work without any fear. 

Promises Kept...

by Krysel Walasik
serving at South Bay Community Services in California

When I first began my service in Chula Vista, I was a bit apprehensive about working within a community that was predominantly Spanish speaking, as my Spanish skills were very low. My position involves community and parent engagement, thus requiring some Spanish knowledge, which made me even more nervous and shy. The community and parent engagement team consists of ten Promotores, community members who work with Chula Vista Promise Neighborhood (CV Promise) in order to engage parents, discuss issues, and bridge gaps between education information and community knowledge. Our parent and community engagement team ranges from ages 22-75 years old, and each of us has different personalities and provides varying contributions, making our team multi-faceted and incredibly interesting. 

Most of the Promotores’ first language was Spanish, like most of the Chula Vista community, thus leading to most of our meeting being held in Spanish. Within my first few weeks, I was being taught various Spanish terms and now, 6 months into my service, I am able to understand almost all the Spanish conversations that take place during our meetings or discussions with parents. I moved to San Diego without any family, only a few friends, and no knowledge of the area. However, within my first month here, my team, along with other CV Promise members, became my family, friends, and support. 

At the start of my service, I kept to my other VISTA members and was in the background for most of the meetings and simply observed what was going on each day. The parent and community engagement team office is located in the parent center at Castle Park Elementary School, where many parents come in and out. One day in early November, a woman by the name of Graciel Salmeron was in the parent center with her 3-year-old daughter inquiring about information on CV Promise programs. Ica, Graciel’s daughter, came up to me and started talking to me in Spanish and telling me about the community garden that she and her mom had just finished watering; the garden is located at Castle Park Elementary school behind the parent center and Graciel is part of the garden board. Graciel has another daughter who attends the CV Promise preschool, Escuelita del Futuro, and Ica was enrolled in the new classroom opening in January 2014.

From November to January, Ica would come in once or twice a week with her mom and talk to me, not knowing that I could not understand most of her words, but still wanting to share her stories. Ica helped me branch out of my comfort zone by speaking to me each time she visited and helped me become more comfortable in my surroundings; I learned that any person young or old can impact you and change your life. Graciel is involved with the garden, the elementary school, and volunteers with my new School Pantry program, thus allowing me to become very familiar with her and her family.

 

I am currently working with Graciel to train her on PTA information, so that she can hopefully become the next Castle Park Elementary PTA president. She has a wonderful family and is engaged in every aspect of her four children’s education, thus making her a role model for other parents and community members. Graciel and Ica have had a large impact on my time here in Chula Vista, and I really enjoy working with such loving and involved families.

“Flash”

by Janel Bituin & Jeanne Kelber
serving at Youth Policy Institute in Los Angeles

Umar “Flash” Ojambo is a junior attending the Helen Bernstein Complex. He is an actively involved student and community member who has a positive influence on his peers. He participates in Serving Our Community (S.O.C) Dragons Club and is involved in a wide array of sports on campus. Flash is a unique individual whose positive energy reaches out and touches those around him.

This relationship is important to us because he has played a large role in one of our first and main projects for the year. He is a great source of motivation and energy for the other students in this club as well as ourselves. While this club got off to a slow start there was  a noticeable change in the dynamic and dedication of S.O.C Dragons. His positivity and motivation has not only given confidence in the other members but to us and the service we do on campus.

This club has played an important role in all the subsequent efforts we have made here at the Helen Bernstein Complex. S.O.C has been a jumping off point for many of our other projects as well as a way for us to stay connected to the student body. This is why the students of S.O.C and Flash in particular is very important to us.