Civic Engagement Reflection

During the May Term quarter of 2016, I participated in a civic engagement course that included a service trip to Haiti. The purpose of the trip was for the class to “engage ourselves civically” throughout the duration of the trip, and at the same time, gain a better sense of self. However, what does civic engagement even mean? Before the trip, I had a vague understanding of civic engagement; I believed that civic engagement was a personalized version of community service, and in some ways it was. Throughout the trip, that definition changed, and I also understood the importance of service learning in relation to civic engagement, which made my perspective of Haiti, true service, and even my own purpose, change.

The journey to Haiti comprised

Originally, the majority of the service learning was to happen through the construction of a mural at a local school in Cherident. Unfortunately, due to rain, we could not undergo such a project. Instead, we were able to contribute to the community in other ways that were equally beneficial. One of the most important acts of service that I underwent on the trip was interacting with the youth. Aside from being a minor, I have always prided myself on working well with children, so naturally I gravitated to them with my positive energy and incessant

One of the foundations of civic engagement is learning the needs of the people that you are serving. When learning about Haiti, we took the average income of a Cherident resident, and brought supplies what were found to be necessities that were appreciated, such as laptops, school supplies, amongst other things. However, my favorite item that we gave to the residents was a Polaroid camera, which the children received very well. On one occasion we brought the camera to the local school, and we took pictures of all the children. At first, the notion that taking pictures of schoolchildren was lost on me, but once I began to take the pictures myself, the glint of glee in the children’s eyes was evidence enough to their enjoyment. Soon enough, the children were even allowed to keep their pictures and even to take a few of their own, of which they seemed to enjoy even more than posing for them. Then I realized another difference between community service and civic engagement, in that community service is merely giving someone something that they might need, whereas civic engagement would involve giving an experience that will help benefit a whole community, and teaching how to use technology such as cameras, laptops, and projectors are skills that are instilled for a lifetime. Items such as those will also affect the