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.