This last semester I have had the great fortune to be involved with the Pinewoods Library off of Highway 29. The library is situated in the center of the Pinewoods trailer communicty. Open to all but home mostly to Latinos representing many different countries, the community has been a place where I have gone to learn more from the wonderful people that live there. Each Tuesday and Thursday of every week, I visited the library and served as an English tutor and conversation partner to the Latino adults that came to practice and learn the language. After my second week there I realized that the same eight to ten people kept showing up, and it was with these incredible individuals that I formed some really tremendous relationships.
Guided by the "maestro" Larry, a charismatic man in his early thirties who lead the discussions and lesson plans for most classes, I slowly understood what it was to become a tutor and a teacher. At first I was intimidated by the fact that most of the people I was helping were a great deal older than I was-some more than twice my age! However, I learned that the students were incredibly engaging and open to any help whatsoever so I glided into my role much quicker than I had anticipated. Every session we focused on something different- holding conversations in english, focusing on grammar, hammering in the different tenses (present, past, future, past progressive, etc etc), practicing writing, making them listen and translate and much more. Every student started off at different levels and brought various learning styles to the table, each of which were complemented by their incredibly friendly personalities.
Aside from the obvious advantage of getting the opportunity to practice my spanish on a weekly basis, my favorite part about working with the library was the great rapport that I established with the students there. Whether they were from mexico, Argentina or Peru, everyone shared one thing in common-a great sense of humor. I probably spent at least half of my time "tutoring" laughing my butt off at the jokes and funny expressions everyone made. One generalization that I can confidently make about Latinos without any worry of being offensive is that they definitely enjoy having a good time.
There are many things that I have learned from these people and many traits that I have come to admire profoundly. The first is the importance of family to their lives. Many of these individuals gave up nearly everything to come to the United States. Some left behind all of their money and belongings. Others left behind brothers, sisters and parents. Sadder yet, a few left behind husbands, wives and children. Despite the great distance that lies between them and their immediate families however, many have confided to me that they still are the central aspects in their lives. Many of these courageous people work long hours every week just to save up money so that they can send it back to loved ones in South America. Others take care to call their children every day at the same time to catch up on everything. The one thing they all have in common is that they intend to reunite at some point in the future-whether that be in Latin America or the States. One of the coolest things I have ever heard was when one of the men told me that he had a nine-year-old son who he hadn't seen in a year and a half. He said that he came to the U.S. to make money for his child so that he could go to school and get an education. Describing his son as his "dream," the man said that he intended to return to his home next year after he had saved up enough to ensure that his boy could become well-educated and have a better life than he had.
Overall, I have developed a deep admiration for the positive attitudes and perseverance that these people have displayed. Most have overcome all odds in the face of adversity. Most have sacrificed so much just to have the chance to live in our culture. I would highly recommend that every UGA student try to get involved with the members of the Latino community living in Athens through one organization like Pinewoods or another. I can say without any doubt that I have learned more valuable lessons working with these people than I have in most of my standard UGA courses.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Pinewoods & ALCES
During the semester, I volunteered at two different places: Pinewoods and ALCES. I decided to do this because I wanted to get a better understanding of the many Latino organizations in Athens as well as associate myself with its large Latino community.
Pinewoods is a library located in the Pinewoods trailer park near Athens Tech. It was started by the Athens Regional Library System and a few passionate people. I had never heard of the library or this area before, so I was interested in seeing what went on out there. I soon came to find that Pinewoods is a tight knit community where anyone, but mostly immigrants, can move their families. Many of the families have non-English speaking parents I found, while the children are usually bilingual. Not only can they live there, but they can also learn there. The library has programs teaching Spanish reading and writing, English speaking, and English reading and writing for adults. I decided to work with the kids, who usually come into the library after class to do homework and play on the computers. By the time I was able to get there, I would help different kids with their homework and then head to the computers to watch them play games, and sometimes to play games with them, although I was terrible. It seems to me that these kids enjoy having people to look up to and to just hang out with. They were always impressed when I knew how to do their homework and were even more impressed when I said I was in college. I asked one smart little boy if he was planning to go to college, and he told me that he wanted to. I like to think that he will do everything in his power to get to college and follow his dreams. All in all, the library in Pinewoods is one of the best programs I have worked with since I started school here in 2008.
I began working with ALCES in early April. I signed up to help their PR intern, Maria. ALCES is another education center for the Hispanic population in Athens. They also volunteer at major Athens events as well as host their own events. Twilight, the bike race that goes through downtown Athens, is one of these events. Twilight is this weekend, and I am excited to help ALCES set up and get the word out about their organization. ALCES' event Taste of Americas is next Monday at Farm 255 in downtown Athens. They are having food catered by many of the major Mexican restaurants in town. We have been promoting the event and I am excited to volunteer at that as well. I will continue working with Maria through the summer with their events, which I think will be a good experience. I appreciate the fact that this class allowed me to find this organization.
Parent/teacher conferences were another activity I enjoyed. At first I was nervous. I walked into Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School with no idea what to expect. The first conference I sat in on had already begun when I walked in, and the teacher was letting the fifth grade boy to translate between she and his mother. I did not realize that the parents couldn't speak any English, so that was tricky when I began to translate for them. I was able to recall all of the "school" jargon that I had learned in high school Spanish. This fifth grade boy was going to be placed in advanced classes in middle school, and he was really excited about it. I was very impressed by him. His parents were unable to help him with his English homework, and he was driven enough to work hard and be in top of his fifth grade class. In my next parent/teacher conference I saw the other end of the spectrum. A mother walked in with her three children for her youngest daughter's pre-school conference. According to the teacher, this child had serious problems concentrating and was probably going to be held back one year. The teacher asked the older sister if she was able to get the younger girl to read to her, and she said that she couldn't. And the non-English speaking mother couldn't help either. At this point I wondered if they lived in Pinewoods, because I wanted to see if I could help her with her homework, but I had to stick to the script and simply translate. It was interesting to see how the two children and their conferences varied so much, growing up in very similar homes. I will definitely volunteer at parent/teacher conferences again.
Pinewoods is a library located in the Pinewoods trailer park near Athens Tech. It was started by the Athens Regional Library System and a few passionate people. I had never heard of the library or this area before, so I was interested in seeing what went on out there. I soon came to find that Pinewoods is a tight knit community where anyone, but mostly immigrants, can move their families. Many of the families have non-English speaking parents I found, while the children are usually bilingual. Not only can they live there, but they can also learn there. The library has programs teaching Spanish reading and writing, English speaking, and English reading and writing for adults. I decided to work with the kids, who usually come into the library after class to do homework and play on the computers. By the time I was able to get there, I would help different kids with their homework and then head to the computers to watch them play games, and sometimes to play games with them, although I was terrible. It seems to me that these kids enjoy having people to look up to and to just hang out with. They were always impressed when I knew how to do their homework and were even more impressed when I said I was in college. I asked one smart little boy if he was planning to go to college, and he told me that he wanted to. I like to think that he will do everything in his power to get to college and follow his dreams. All in all, the library in Pinewoods is one of the best programs I have worked with since I started school here in 2008.
I began working with ALCES in early April. I signed up to help their PR intern, Maria. ALCES is another education center for the Hispanic population in Athens. They also volunteer at major Athens events as well as host their own events. Twilight, the bike race that goes through downtown Athens, is one of these events. Twilight is this weekend, and I am excited to help ALCES set up and get the word out about their organization. ALCES' event Taste of Americas is next Monday at Farm 255 in downtown Athens. They are having food catered by many of the major Mexican restaurants in town. We have been promoting the event and I am excited to volunteer at that as well. I will continue working with Maria through the summer with their events, which I think will be a good experience. I appreciate the fact that this class allowed me to find this organization.
Parent/teacher conferences were another activity I enjoyed. At first I was nervous. I walked into Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School with no idea what to expect. The first conference I sat in on had already begun when I walked in, and the teacher was letting the fifth grade boy to translate between she and his mother. I did not realize that the parents couldn't speak any English, so that was tricky when I began to translate for them. I was able to recall all of the "school" jargon that I had learned in high school Spanish. This fifth grade boy was going to be placed in advanced classes in middle school, and he was really excited about it. I was very impressed by him. His parents were unable to help him with his English homework, and he was driven enough to work hard and be in top of his fifth grade class. In my next parent/teacher conference I saw the other end of the spectrum. A mother walked in with her three children for her youngest daughter's pre-school conference. According to the teacher, this child had serious problems concentrating and was probably going to be held back one year. The teacher asked the older sister if she was able to get the younger girl to read to her, and she said that she couldn't. And the non-English speaking mother couldn't help either. At this point I wondered if they lived in Pinewoods, because I wanted to see if I could help her with her homework, but I had to stick to the script and simply translate. It was interesting to see how the two children and their conferences varied so much, growing up in very similar homes. I will definitely volunteer at parent/teacher conferences again.
Cleveland Road Elementary
"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile"
Helping another can change a life. Helping a child can change the world. Children are our future. In 10 years they will be taking our places at institutes of higher learning, and in 20 years they will be out in the real world pursuing careers. It is essential that we help all children no matter what race, religion or belief system to reach these goals. Every child has a passion and dream to become something great. When I was young I wanted to become an event planner and today I am about to graduate with a degree in public relations from an excellent University.
During my first three years in Athens, I was unaware about the Hispanic population that lives here. Even taking several Spanish classes and involvement in numerous organizations, I had no clue as to the poverty that surrounds these individuals. It was not until this class that my eyes were opened to the countless individuals and children struggling for survival just five minutes from my apartment. Last semester I enrolled community service Spanish also and I volunteered at Pinewoods Library. I again this semester volunteered there, however, after such a life changing experience I wanted to expand my help. So, I decided to take on a mentor position at Cleveland Road Elementary School.
My mentee, who shall remain anonymous for privacy purposes, had just lost his father to deportation. It came as a surprise to the family and him; his mother, and siblings were left without their father for an unknown amount of time. My mentee was desperate for help. Someone to guide him and help him through this troublesome time. I became that person. Just by visiting him a few times I became a hero in his eyes. Although we did not meet often, the times shared were fun and educational. I would help him with his homework, play games or just talk. It was a true friendship.
My experience at Pinewoods Library was much like my experience at Cleveland Road. Having volunteered there fall semester I became very familiar with all the kids. Many of them became my friends and would scream in excitement when I arrived to volunteer. At Pinewoods, I was not only a tutor but a friend. Someone who the kids could count on to show up weekly and spend time with them. Most of these children live in poverty and cannot afford the simple pleasures that most of us are lucky to have. However, they seemed just as happy as any regular kid. This made me realize that things are not important. Life is about happiness and friendship.
My experiences at both of these place have been amazing. If I could take this class again, I would. I encourage any and everyone to get out there and help. Help our community. Help our children. Help our world.
Rachel Rimmer
Helping another can change a life. Helping a child can change the world. Children are our future. In 10 years they will be taking our places at institutes of higher learning, and in 20 years they will be out in the real world pursuing careers. It is essential that we help all children no matter what race, religion or belief system to reach these goals. Every child has a passion and dream to become something great. When I was young I wanted to become an event planner and today I am about to graduate with a degree in public relations from an excellent University.
During my first three years in Athens, I was unaware about the Hispanic population that lives here. Even taking several Spanish classes and involvement in numerous organizations, I had no clue as to the poverty that surrounds these individuals. It was not until this class that my eyes were opened to the countless individuals and children struggling for survival just five minutes from my apartment. Last semester I enrolled community service Spanish also and I volunteered at Pinewoods Library. I again this semester volunteered there, however, after such a life changing experience I wanted to expand my help. So, I decided to take on a mentor position at Cleveland Road Elementary School.
My mentee, who shall remain anonymous for privacy purposes, had just lost his father to deportation. It came as a surprise to the family and him; his mother, and siblings were left without their father for an unknown amount of time. My mentee was desperate for help. Someone to guide him and help him through this troublesome time. I became that person. Just by visiting him a few times I became a hero in his eyes. Although we did not meet often, the times shared were fun and educational. I would help him with his homework, play games or just talk. It was a true friendship.
My experience at Pinewoods Library was much like my experience at Cleveland Road. Having volunteered there fall semester I became very familiar with all the kids. Many of them became my friends and would scream in excitement when I arrived to volunteer. At Pinewoods, I was not only a tutor but a friend. Someone who the kids could count on to show up weekly and spend time with them. Most of these children live in poverty and cannot afford the simple pleasures that most of us are lucky to have. However, they seemed just as happy as any regular kid. This made me realize that things are not important. Life is about happiness and friendship.
My experiences at both of these place have been amazing. If I could take this class again, I would. I encourage any and everyone to get out there and help. Help our community. Help our children. Help our world.
Rachel Rimmer
Los Vendidos
We had the opportunity to attend events in the community that related to our in-service learning experience. This my review of a performance of "Los Vendidos" that was performed on campus at UGA.
The idea of buying a person seems outdated and outlawed, yet this is just what our society still does in so many ways. Luis Valdez crafts his story "Los Vendidos” with humor, criticism, and sadness. Through using the premise of a lady going into buy the “perfect” Latino model, the story takes us through the different ways our society values women, Latinos, and people in general.
Even though Valdez original work does not include women in his stereotypes, including two female parts was a needed and relevant interpretation of the play. The one that touched me especially was the maid, who worked tirelessly daily, yet could be “stored” with a pile of other people, and “maintained” very inexpensively. This degradation is what we do today with many of the women workers in our economy, whether it be through unequal wages or outright slavery in the case of human trafficking that is still rampant in Atlanta and our nation.
The secretary wanted someone who looked Latino, but had taken on a white American identity. I see this speaking of how we want to appear multi-cultural and like to fill our crowds with diversity, but do not want the cultures that come with the different faces. We want everyone to be a little different, but essentially like us. Yet to strip them of their culture strips some of their humanity and makes them more like a machine.
We often see people through the lens of what benefit they have to us, rather than a mutual beneficial relationship. The secretary wanted the model that benefited her campaign the most. Even the Latinos did this with the secretary in playing on her ignorance and taking her money. I felt this showed that no culture is immune from looking down on or taking advantage of another.
The performance of this play was very entertaining and well-done. All the acting was excellent, and the audience seemed to connect well. It definitely made me question how I value and label people at first glance. I have been dared to take a second look.
The idea of buying a person seems outdated and outlawed, yet this is just what our society still does in so many ways. Luis Valdez crafts his story "Los Vendidos” with humor, criticism, and sadness. Through using the premise of a lady going into buy the “perfect” Latino model, the story takes us through the different ways our society values women, Latinos, and people in general.
Even though Valdez original work does not include women in his stereotypes, including two female parts was a needed and relevant interpretation of the play. The one that touched me especially was the maid, who worked tirelessly daily, yet could be “stored” with a pile of other people, and “maintained” very inexpensively. This degradation is what we do today with many of the women workers in our economy, whether it be through unequal wages or outright slavery in the case of human trafficking that is still rampant in Atlanta and our nation.
The secretary wanted someone who looked Latino, but had taken on a white American identity. I see this speaking of how we want to appear multi-cultural and like to fill our crowds with diversity, but do not want the cultures that come with the different faces. We want everyone to be a little different, but essentially like us. Yet to strip them of their culture strips some of their humanity and makes them more like a machine.
We often see people through the lens of what benefit they have to us, rather than a mutual beneficial relationship. The secretary wanted the model that benefited her campaign the most. Even the Latinos did this with the secretary in playing on her ignorance and taking her money. I felt this showed that no culture is immune from looking down on or taking advantage of another.
The performance of this play was very entertaining and well-done. All the acting was excellent, and the audience seemed to connect well. It definitely made me question how I value and label people at first glance. I have been dared to take a second look.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Pinewoods Library
During my volunteer experience at Pinewoods Library, I served as a tutor assisting elementary and middle school-age children with homework, reading skills, and test preparation. After completing their tasks, the students and I played computer games and board games. I assisted in many special activicties like soccer games, field days, plays, and crafts. Although these children are incredibly intelligent, they face extra challenges in school due to language barriers. They greatly benefit from any help and support available. Furthermore, the children are appreciative and always excited to see the volunteers.
I encourage everyone to volunteer at Pinewoods Library. It
has been a truly rewarding time helping these wonderful children who really
need the assistance and attention. There are many ways to get involved from
adult English learning classes to childcare to tutoring. Do not feel
discouraged if you lack Spanish language proficiency. Tutoring and childcare do
not require that you speak Spanish. However, involvement at Pinewoods provides
an excellent opportunity to practice and improve your Spanish conversation
skills. Any participation at Pinewoods is extremely fulfilling, because
volunteers are making a difference in the lives of these underprivileged
parents, workers, children, and families.
(A.L.C.E.S.) Athens Latino Center for Education and Services
I was fortunate enough to receive the opportunity to work at ALCES. This nonprofit organization provides free legal assistance, language classes, and other services to the local Latin American community in Athens.
My time at ALCES primarily consisted in working at the front desk. The accompanying tasks went perfectly hand-in-hand with material I have been learning in my Business Spanish class as many of my responsibilities included translating legal documents, writing official letters to local businesses, and maintaining professional phone etiquette in Spanish. This was some of the best Spanish language practice I have ever received.
My eyes were further opened to the Athens Latino community upon attending the Agora fashion show at the 40 Watt. This fashion show acted as a fundraiser for ALCES and Freedom University. The testimonies of the student and teacher speakers at this show were fascinating.
In class, the ALCES volunteers were endowed with more information about Freedom University. I have never been very politically involved, but these issues caught my attention. This class, and my time at ALCES, together provided me with endless amounts of insight about political issues affecting the Latin American population of Georgia. I was also exposed to the significance one student can have on an entire community. I was able to see the difference that I can have on a person's life just by taking twenty minutes of my time to translate their marriage license, sign them up for their first English class, or listen to their story.
My time at ALCES primarily consisted in working at the front desk. The accompanying tasks went perfectly hand-in-hand with material I have been learning in my Business Spanish class as many of my responsibilities included translating legal documents, writing official letters to local businesses, and maintaining professional phone etiquette in Spanish. This was some of the best Spanish language practice I have ever received.
My eyes were further opened to the Athens Latino community upon attending the Agora fashion show at the 40 Watt. This fashion show acted as a fundraiser for ALCES and Freedom University. The testimonies of the student and teacher speakers at this show were fascinating.
In class, the ALCES volunteers were endowed with more information about Freedom University. I have never been very politically involved, but these issues caught my attention. This class, and my time at ALCES, together provided me with endless amounts of insight about political issues affecting the Latin American population of Georgia. I was also exposed to the significance one student can have on an entire community. I was able to see the difference that I can have on a person's life just by taking twenty minutes of my time to translate their marriage license, sign them up for their first English class, or listen to their story.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Garnett Ridge Boys and Girls Club
The mission of the Garnett Ridge Boys & Girls Club is to inspire and enable all
young people, especially those at risk, to realize their full potential
as responsible, caring and productive citizens.
At this volunteer site, I could help children practice reading, assist them with homework, provide support to the staff with set-up, clean-up, and organization, do crafts, games & sports, and develop positive relationships with the children. I mostly worked with the preschool and kindergarten age group, but had opportunities to work with all the grade groups up to the 5th grade.
I enjoyed encouraging the children in their learning. It was rewarding to see a child grasp a concept that they had trouble connecting with before. Since many of them are balancing learning a new language, they really do need extra attention to be successful in school. One experience that stands out to me was when I was helping a girl research information on storms for a school project. This girl really enjoyed the subject and we made good progress on the project. I did not see her for a few weeks, but one day she ran up to me to hug me and let me know that she had made an A on her project and that she was so grateful for the help. Even something as simple as a few minutes of help on a project can go a long way to encourage a student in the things that they enjoy and give them a positive learning experience.
Not only was I able to help them learn, but I also learned a lot. This was a great opportunity to practice Spanish and to listen to the living language as the children communicated with each other. This experience also broadened my perspective on the Latino immigrant community in Athens. We learned in class about the hardships that policies and laws had placed on these immigrant families and at the club I listened to the children's first-hand stories of immigration and their struggles in growing up here. Many of them had financial difficulties, and had been separated from family members. They were also faced with the possibility of having to leave the neighborhood they knew as home to go to their parents' hometowns.
This was by far my favorite class this semester. I loved the hands-on experience that the combination of serving and learning provided. I hope to continue to be involved with the club either through more in-service classes or by continuing to tutor and attend special events. Serving is truly one of the most fulfilling experiences.
At this volunteer site, I could help children practice reading, assist them with homework, provide support to the staff with set-up, clean-up, and organization, do crafts, games & sports, and develop positive relationships with the children. I mostly worked with the preschool and kindergarten age group, but had opportunities to work with all the grade groups up to the 5th grade.
I enjoyed encouraging the children in their learning. It was rewarding to see a child grasp a concept that they had trouble connecting with before. Since many of them are balancing learning a new language, they really do need extra attention to be successful in school. One experience that stands out to me was when I was helping a girl research information on storms for a school project. This girl really enjoyed the subject and we made good progress on the project. I did not see her for a few weeks, but one day she ran up to me to hug me and let me know that she had made an A on her project and that she was so grateful for the help. Even something as simple as a few minutes of help on a project can go a long way to encourage a student in the things that they enjoy and give them a positive learning experience.
Not only was I able to help them learn, but I also learned a lot. This was a great opportunity to practice Spanish and to listen to the living language as the children communicated with each other. This experience also broadened my perspective on the Latino immigrant community in Athens. We learned in class about the hardships that policies and laws had placed on these immigrant families and at the club I listened to the children's first-hand stories of immigration and their struggles in growing up here. Many of them had financial difficulties, and had been separated from family members. They were also faced with the possibility of having to leave the neighborhood they knew as home to go to their parents' hometowns.
This was by far my favorite class this semester. I loved the hands-on experience that the combination of serving and learning provided. I hope to continue to be involved with the club either through more in-service classes or by continuing to tutor and attend special events. Serving is truly one of the most fulfilling experiences.
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