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The importance of community engagement
The importance of community engagement
The importance of community engagement
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Bowdoin’s dedication to community service and the “Common Good” was one of the special aspects of the school that appealed to me when I first visited. Bowdoin’s center, dedicated to the common good right in the middle of campus was a clear signal to me of Bowdoin’s philosophy. Over the course of my life, I have dedicated many hours helping others. At a very young age, I wanted to make a difference in the world, not only in the sciences, but also in the lives of the less fortunate. My grandmother ran a Habitat for Humanity restore in South Carolina, so every time I visited her, I spent long days unloading donations, working the cash register, talking to perspective home owners, and delivering lunch to workers on jobsites. I loved every minute
“When schools, parents, families, and communities work together to support learning, students tend to earn higher grades, attend school more regularly, stay in school longer, and enroll in higher level programs.” (Van Roeckel, 2008, p. 1) Deer Valley High School in Glendale, AZ is the first high school built in the Deer Valley Unified Scholl District, and with a population around 1800 students, the high school is one of the bigger schools in the state. It has a tradition of family on its’ campus, where there are still teachers teaching that were there when the school opened in 1980. A number of former students have become new teachers on campus and just about all the teachers’ children have attended and graduated from the campus. With a school like ours, there are many connections to the community around it and it is demonstrated by the programs that bring in parent and community to help with the development of our students. There are numerous booster clubs run on our campus to help support student achievement on the sports fields, a school to work programs to teach the students necessary skills in different areas of either nursing, sports medicine classes, and in the culinary arts classrooms, and funding to our school to help ensure all students graduate on time. There are many programs on our campus, but I will discuss four of the programs: baseball booster club, C2G program, “school-to-work”, and the special education program sponsored by Arrowhead Hospital. These programs are designed to improve the relationships between the campus and the people in the community, and give all students on campus every opportunity to succeed in their future.
The Gallaudet College has rightly earned a position of high regard. Though its beginnings were less than honest, the Lord moved other men to minister to a group of people who needed to be treated equally.
There are countless people who aspire to help people in their lives. However, if you think about it, nearly every career helps others in some way, shape, or form. Teachers, scientists, policemen and various other careers aid people in different ways. I, like many others, have always known that I’ve wanted to help people. Yet, I also want to do more than that. I want to help others, but also save others- emotionally or physically, mentor others, inspire others, and be there for others during their most vulnerable times. This is who I am- and I have always been this person. In first grade, I ran a lemonade stand at my school for the Make-A-Wish Foundation; I got my third grade class to raise money for starving children; and I put up with bullying throughout middle school because I befriended a girl who had trouble making friends on her own. The quality of pure selflessness and care for others that I have always possessed would allow me to do something great with my life- it just took me some time to figure out what.
Throughout my life, I have always been volunteering. I started the Girl Scouts program in Kindergarten, and am still currently involved in the program. Simultaneously, I’m in three service groups at my high school, many of which involve visiting
Growing up in a lower income family, I always assumed that earning more money gave me more power to spread good works of humanity. As I got older and experienced more around my community, I witnessed people around me that helped with things such as hurricane relief programs and canned food drives. This inspired me to find ways for me to impact others in my community. Each year my family donates all leftover food from our local grocery store to people in need all over
I was raised to do my best to help others whenever I saw the opportunity, such as from acting like a personal chiropractor for my friends and family or raising $5,000 for charity. I found something that I really enjoyed; I was doing things for others that benefited them and not me. I knew what I enjoyed; the issue was finding a career that I could provide a service to others and enjoy. Considering many careers, from joining the military to becoming a psychiatrist, I decided to pursue Occupational Therapy.
Ever since I was little I have loved helping out my community. Whether it was by feeding the homeless or cleaning up parks. Volunteering has always interested me in many ways. This past year I have volunteered at so many places to improve my community. Something I am proud of is when I volunteered at Santa's Inc. One day I was in my key club and they had brought this up and asked who would like to sign up. Here I was able to assist mothers who couldn't afford gifts for their children by helping them “shop” for clothes, toys, and books that were free. I played a major role in those women's lives. Volunteering has allowed me to get to know people more.
At many times in my life, I have invested my time in goodness. One memory which sticks out in my mind is when I went bowling with Youth Challenge. Youth Challenge is an organization that helps kids with physical disabilities. The smiles on the kids faces when they bowled and were treated like regular kids were priceless. It made me feel great seeing the kids happy. I felt like I was actually making a difference. The good deeds I do with that volunteer organization are beneficial for everyone involved.
I’ve been blessed to grow up in an upper-class community where everyone will do everything in their power to help others. I feel as if growing up in this community has taught me the importance of giving back to the community and helping those in need.
I am involved in several clubs and organizations in my school and community. I believe it is important to give back to my community through service and to use the leadership skills I have developed in whatever way I can. Two of my favorite ways to lead and serve my community are through my church and through my high school football team. I volunteer as a student athletic trainer at Puckett High School. I love this job. Because of it, I have gained an abundance of knowledge I will need for my future profession, I have given back to my school and community in so many ways, and I have made life-long friendships with the each member of the football team, some of which I would almost consider family. I knew I wanted to participate in this wonderful opportunity the first time I ever saw a high school age girl administering to an injured players needs.
It took me eighteen years to realize what an extraordinary influence my mother has been on my life. She' s the kind of person who has thoughtful discussions about which artist she would most want to have her portrait painted by (Sargent), the kind of mother who always has time for her four children, and the kind of community leader who has a seat on the board of every major project to assist Washington' s impoverished citizens. Growing up with such a strong role model, I developed many of her enthusiasms. I not only came to love the excitement of learning simply for the sake of knowing something new, but I also came to understand the idea of giving back to the community in exchange for a new sense of life, love, and spirit.
I have come to realize that volunteering is really much more than that just taking an hour out of your week and just showing up to help. It is about taking initiative and making a meaningful difference in the lives of others, and your own. Volunteering makes me more aware of the world and opens me up to new experiences.
It’s truly amazing how ones people’s actions can change the world in so many ways. I may still be young but I refuse to sit aside and let others struggle with issues I know I can help with. The best part about community service is not only does it help and benefit others it makes each person feel so good to have put a smile on someone else’s face. I’m so excited to see how my South Dakota trip goes this summer and I can’t wait to get back to my students in August. I hope my drive to help others never dims for the feelings I gain from helping others is truly
For me, service projects became a part of who I am when I was able to travel to Haiti after my sophomore year of high school. Before anyone arrives to a third world country they must prepare themselves. However, no textbook or website would prepare for the next week of my life. While in Haiti, we helped to construct a school for the local children that would also double as a church. I am not going to lie, the heat in Haiti is the worst I have ever had to
I also had the privilege of helping with the Meals on Wheels non profit organization. My grandfather used to be a Meals on Wheels recipient and he would share with me how he enjoyed looking forward to their company and a hot meal daily. I volunteered because I wanted to give back and help someone else’s loved one in the same way. It was very rewarding delivering hot meals to people who didn’t have the means of getting one as well as being there for them to talk to. Overall, it was a very humbling experience, it made me realize just how blessed I am and how much I take for granted daily.