Service Learning

By: Gracie Bryant

Completed Service Learning

• Relay For Life• Habitat For Humanity• Second Harvest Food Bank• Goodwill• The Boys anf Girls Club of America

Relay For Life 2008• Relay For Life (often

shortened to Relay) is the American Cancer Society’s fundraising event that is held in many other countries. Designed to spread awareness of cancer prevention, treatments and cures, it is an overnight event. Survivors are celebrated and money is raised for research to find a cure for all cancers. It is the largest fundraising walk in the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relay_for_Life

Relay for Life 2008 cont’d• I have participated in Relay For

Life since I was in middle school.

• I always loved it as a kid, because it gave me an excuse to stay up all night.– Recent participation has

shown me that my age might be catching up with me.

• The main reason I participate in Relay is to honor the cancer survivors and victims in my family. My time helps fund research that could positively affect my family, other families, and this world.

Habitat For Humanity 2007

• Habitat For Humanity International (HFHI) (generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or simply Habitat) is an international, ecumenical Christian, non-governmental, non-profit organization devoted to building "simple, decent, and affordable" housing. Volunteers labor to build homes, those homes are sold at no profit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_for_Humanity

Habitat for Humanity 2007 cont’d

• Habitat was the most difficult service project I participated in. Mosquitoes and gnats were all around. The land was cleared so that the house could be built upon it. This allowed the sun to shine freely and to make all the volunteers very hot. The work was strenuous, but worth it because of the purpose the home would serve.

America’s Second Harvest Food Bank 2007

• America's Second Harvest is a United States based nonprofit organization. It consists of a nation-wide network of more than 200 food banks and food-rescue organizations that serve virtually every county in the United States as well as Puerto Rico. It is the nation's largest charitable hunger-relief organization.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America%27s_Second_Harvest

America’s Second Harvest Food Bank 2007 cont’d

• I enjoyed volunteering at the food bank. While there I helped sort the edible foods from the spoiled foods. Who would think that a box cutter, Sharpie, and some gloves could be so much fun. I would have never guessed it.

Goodwill 2007

• Goodwill Industries International (Goodwill) claims to be one of the world’s largest nonprofit providers of education, training, and career services for people with disadvantages, such as welfare dependency, homelessness, and lack of education or work experience, as well as those with physical, mental and emotional disabilities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwill_Industries

Goodwill cont’d

• I went to Goodwill without my cohort. Some friends of mine and myself volunteered at the local Goodwill retail store. We made sure all the clothes were sorted and put back in their proper places. One of my friends found a cute shirt she liked also.

The Boys and Girls Club of America 2008

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a national organization whose mission is to “enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” It offers many programs that provide kids with a fun and educational experience, as well as a safe after-school environment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_and_Girls_Club_of_America

Boys and Girls Club 2008 cont’d• A regular afternoon, I would have spent idly was

put towards volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club.

• During my visit, I helped the kids with their homework. Helping the children made me realize how hard education and life in general can be without necessary resources. I don’t know where I would be without a family that read to me or a mother that stressed the importance of education. Afterwards, I felt like I was responsible in breaking the cycle of substandard living.

Why is Service-Learning Important to me?

• Service learning is important because it positively affects our world. Whether it is one person or many helping the community, it is a step towards change. Poverty, famine, crime, etc. plague this world. The end to these problems lies with us all, in our personal responsibility to serve. We all have time to spare, so why not put that time towards making a difference.

Benefits of Service Learning

• A sense of accomplishment• Pride• Awareness of a good deed• Influencing others– Peers– The needy

• A better community– A better world

What does Service-Learning mean?

• Webster’s Dictionary defines it as the incorporation of community service within an educational system, esp. as a graduation requirement.

• However, I feel that service-learning is a great enrichment tool for collegiate learning. My freshman year and college career have been better because of service-learning.

Reflections