Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Chrissy's Research
I interviewed one of the supervisors for multiple programs and sections of Our Next Generation during a visit to the Homework Club. She used to work in the Milwaukee Public School system with a part time job working with Our Next Generation, but wanted to help the community so she switched to working at O.N.G. full-time. She runs and oversees many of the different programs that O.N.G. administrates. She was very helpful and gave us a sheet filled with information about all of the different clubs and activities. We also learned from her how Our Next Generation helps to give kids an opportunity to connect with schools, such as Marquette University.
In the interview she explained how Our Next Generation goes further in-depth to help students and their parents. Our Next Generation is able to speak to the teachers of the students and gain access to their report cards. This way they can bond with the school and teachers, and they will save time gaining information about specific students. They can also then educate the parents about their students’ strengths and weaknesses. Taking the kids away from a school setting helps them relax, while still learning and building a bond with their volunteer. She explained that Our Next Generation gives the students a safe community center to spend their time at. They have many resources to use, such as a computer lab, and library. The students are offered free food, which is nice since for the most part they are spending their after-school time there.
Aside from the learning aspect, there are also clubs and activities that specialize in the arts, business aspects, and even fitness. The interview with this supervisor was especially helpful in learning more about the organization. It was interesting to learn not only about how many things are available to the students through O.N.G., but how much work goes into providing these opportunities. With great volunteers and friendly and professional supervisors running the programs, the kids have a fighting chance in one of Milwaukee’s ‘less fortunate’ communities. Our Next Generation is helping the community one student at a time.
In the interview she explained how Our Next Generation goes further in-depth to help students and their parents. Our Next Generation is able to speak to the teachers of the students and gain access to their report cards. This way they can bond with the school and teachers, and they will save time gaining information about specific students. They can also then educate the parents about their students’ strengths and weaknesses. Taking the kids away from a school setting helps them relax, while still learning and building a bond with their volunteer. She explained that Our Next Generation gives the students a safe community center to spend their time at. They have many resources to use, such as a computer lab, and library. The students are offered free food, which is nice since for the most part they are spending their after-school time there.
Aside from the learning aspect, there are also clubs and activities that specialize in the arts, business aspects, and even fitness. The interview with this supervisor was especially helpful in learning more about the organization. It was interesting to learn not only about how many things are available to the students through O.N.G., but how much work goes into providing these opportunities. With great volunteers and friendly and professional supervisors running the programs, the kids have a fighting chance in one of Milwaukee’s ‘less fortunate’ communities. Our Next Generation is helping the community one student at a time.
Zach's Research
Many trips were made to the service learning center of Our Next Generation at Lisbon and 35th St. The organization has a few other centers where kids can come after school or during their free time to get tutoring help or participate in clubs and activities at no cost to them. Our Next Generation is a positive step forward in helping the surrounding community progress towards a better educational system, and a better community also. Although I dealt mostly with the Homework Club, they have many other clubs and activities to offer. These include (but are not limited to): Arts and Crafts, trips to Marquette University, Business Club, Club Fit, Club Express (including dance, art, music, and poetry,) and trips to the Urban Ecology Center (including canoeing, hiking, etc.)
The Homework Club is one of Our Next Generations after-school programs. Volunteers sign up to tutor a specific student, and over time get to know them. The students that participate in the homework club come from various Milwaukee schools. The Homework Club is not limited to elementary school students, the High School Connection caters to high school students looking for help with their homework, assistance in college applications or scholarships, or even just a place to go after school. I had the chance to tutor a student and got a close up look at what Homework Club was like, and also got to meet a student from the community.
In my opinion, it seemed like the program was very helpful for not only the students but their parents as well. The students were getting help with their homework, which helps them to keep up academically, and it also provides a place for kids to stay safely after school, and keeps parents from having to worry if their kids are up to par in the classroom. The environment gives the students positive interactions with knowledgeable and friendly adults that the kids, in some cases, might not be getting at home. Our Next Generation’s ‘Homework Club’ is helping to build the community in encouraging way. Students that do better in school are obviously boosting the level of quality in the educational system, as well as having the kids be happier and more positive, and most of all they’re learning to interact socially and build relationships.
The Homework Club is one of Our Next Generations after-school programs. Volunteers sign up to tutor a specific student, and over time get to know them. The students that participate in the homework club come from various Milwaukee schools. The Homework Club is not limited to elementary school students, the High School Connection caters to high school students looking for help with their homework, assistance in college applications or scholarships, or even just a place to go after school. I had the chance to tutor a student and got a close up look at what Homework Club was like, and also got to meet a student from the community.
In my opinion, it seemed like the program was very helpful for not only the students but their parents as well. The students were getting help with their homework, which helps them to keep up academically, and it also provides a place for kids to stay safely after school, and keeps parents from having to worry if their kids are up to par in the classroom. The environment gives the students positive interactions with knowledgeable and friendly adults that the kids, in some cases, might not be getting at home. Our Next Generation’s ‘Homework Club’ is helping to build the community in encouraging way. Students that do better in school are obviously boosting the level of quality in the educational system, as well as having the kids be happier and more positive, and most of all they’re learning to interact socially and build relationships.
Chrissy's Reflection
At first, the thought of visiting Our Next Generation and working with kids seemed like it was going to be rough. After the first visit, things were looking a whole lot different. Not only did the time fly, but learning about how many people the organization helps, parents and students alike, was astounding. The organization is a precious resource for the community it surrounds, as it provides free after-school activities for students, as well as tutoring, fieldtrips, and sometimes even snacks. It was shocking to think that such an organization is able to run solely on the help it gets from volunteers, and even that it could get so much volunteer support on a daily basis.
Although Our Next Generation hosts a variety of clubs and activities, the one that I got the most experience with was the Homework Club, specifically the section available to elementary school students. It was a strange feeling to be tutoring someone from that age group as I do not normally interact with kids of that age. It was also interesting to see the kids’ point of view of the organization. Obviously they were not to thrilled about working on homework (but who is?) However, the kids seemed to enjoy having adults to help them with their homework issues, and maybe even play a game or two with them. It was also neat to see how many people were willing to volunteer a little part of their night to doing something so helpful. The organization is clearly making strides forward to help educate the kids in the community, and to give them a nice place to go after school until their parents can pick them up.
The service learning experience was very gratifying. It was nice to know that we were helping the organization tutor at least one student out of the many that spend their after-school time there. It was an interesting and educational experience not only to learn about the organization itself, but to break down the wall between the known and unknown about the community. From an outsiders’ point of view, the community might not seem like one of the best “quality,” but upon looking closer, you realize that the people within it have big hearts and are always looking for ways to improve their community.
Although Our Next Generation hosts a variety of clubs and activities, the one that I got the most experience with was the Homework Club, specifically the section available to elementary school students. It was a strange feeling to be tutoring someone from that age group as I do not normally interact with kids of that age. It was also interesting to see the kids’ point of view of the organization. Obviously they were not to thrilled about working on homework (but who is?) However, the kids seemed to enjoy having adults to help them with their homework issues, and maybe even play a game or two with them. It was also neat to see how many people were willing to volunteer a little part of their night to doing something so helpful. The organization is clearly making strides forward to help educate the kids in the community, and to give them a nice place to go after school until their parents can pick them up.
The service learning experience was very gratifying. It was nice to know that we were helping the organization tutor at least one student out of the many that spend their after-school time there. It was an interesting and educational experience not only to learn about the organization itself, but to break down the wall between the known and unknown about the community. From an outsiders’ point of view, the community might not seem like one of the best “quality,” but upon looking closer, you realize that the people within it have big hearts and are always looking for ways to improve their community.
Zach's Reflection
The overall service learning experience was new and different than any other I have had in the past. For instance, I had not had much experience with volunteer work. I supposed I had somewhat of a pre-conceived notion about the workings of the inner city and the reason that there sometimes high rates of crime, more issues with the educational systems, etcetera. From working with Our Next Generation and interviewing people that worked there, I learned that the city is not a “bad place” simply because of the people that live there. In fact, that is a completely wrong thing to assume.
The people that live in an urban setting like Milwaukee are placed in a situation that they learn to assimilate into. For example, in an interview I had with a parent of a student, he explained that he believes the reason that there are so many issues with the education system are not because of the schools or the teachers, but rather the parents of the students. If the parents do not value the education of their children, the education their children receive will clearly be of a lower quality. This is because the parents will not force them to do their homework or study as hard. I had not taken into consideration that there are so many factors that influence one another. Also, if a parent is involved in bad behavior like drugs and alcohol (combined with their lack of discipline,) their son or daughter will often imitate this behavior as they see it modeled.
I also feel that my view of living in Milwaukee is somewhat skewed compared to the community that surrounds the organization. When I talked to that parent of a student, I realized that this full-grown adult was still scared of his community, that he did not even feel safe going out after dark. The community surrounding UWM is not the safest, but it definitely feels more safe to me. I think that the service learning hours I spent with Our Next Generation helped me not only appreciate my own community, but it also helped me get a more in-depth look at a community different than my own. My view of the community is less stereotype-ridden, and I feel that I am a more complete person for it.
The people that live in an urban setting like Milwaukee are placed in a situation that they learn to assimilate into. For example, in an interview I had with a parent of a student, he explained that he believes the reason that there are so many issues with the education system are not because of the schools or the teachers, but rather the parents of the students. If the parents do not value the education of their children, the education their children receive will clearly be of a lower quality. This is because the parents will not force them to do their homework or study as hard. I had not taken into consideration that there are so many factors that influence one another. Also, if a parent is involved in bad behavior like drugs and alcohol (combined with their lack of discipline,) their son or daughter will often imitate this behavior as they see it modeled.
I also feel that my view of living in Milwaukee is somewhat skewed compared to the community that surrounds the organization. When I talked to that parent of a student, I realized that this full-grown adult was still scared of his community, that he did not even feel safe going out after dark. The community surrounding UWM is not the safest, but it definitely feels more safe to me. I think that the service learning hours I spent with Our Next Generation helped me not only appreciate my own community, but it also helped me get a more in-depth look at a community different than my own. My view of the community is less stereotype-ridden, and I feel that I am a more complete person for it.
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