Reflection Paper on Community Service Learning - Essay Example

What? I have to waste my time on something that I won’t get any benefit in return in order to pass this required ” I mumbled to myself as my X203 class’ orientation meeting draws to an end. I didn’t like the idea of having to perform service learning in order to graduate college when I first heard about it. Why should I have to do volunteer work in order to for me to graduate from college? As a college student with full time job, I have classes, homework, quizzes, exams, and work to worry about already. I don’t have the time or the energy to concern about some non-profit organization which I have never heard of in need of unpaid assistants. In my opinion, people with too much time on their hands are better suite at such job. Moreover, the college should not dictate students to perform volunteer work while they are still in college. Volunteer work should only be performed when the students are out of college and at their own well. Even though it did not make sense to me at first, I started to like the idea of service learning as I was doing the volunteer work. I chose the Indianapolis Art Center to perform my service because it offered me a chance to find out about a holiday from a different culture, the traditional Mexican holiday of El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). The holiday celebrates life and commemorates the lives of those who once lived. The Indianapolis Art Center honored this traditional holiday with The Sixth Annual El Día de los Muertos Exhibition. The show included an exhibition of altars created by local community and a free celebration that included entertainment, hands-on cultural activities for all ages, and various works for sale on display by various artisans. Also available were traditional foods and an opportunity for the public to add their own tokens to a community altar. The Indianapolis Art Center is a non profit organization. The IAC is dedicated to making life better for everyone through art. The galleries at the Indianapolis Art Center have no admission fees. Since the center offers a variety of free programs, rich and poor alike can enjoy the Indianapolis Art Center. The Indianapolis Art Center gives the makes you feel like you were at a Paris museum that happened to be located on an American college campus. The overall impression of the event was great. The Center went out its way to impress its attendees. As soon as the attendees walked into the building, they were surrounded by lights, flags, altars, music, and smell of Mexican food all gave attendees I-am-in-Mexico-Now feeling. The event was well organized, and everything went very smoothly. All the volunteers knew exactly what to do while the attendees were having a great time. Service learning offered several benefits to me. First, it offered me an opportunity to step outside of the classroom and meet with real society. Service learning provided an opportunity for me to merge classroom learning and civic engagement. In stead of just studyomg the examples from books within enclosed classroom; service learning allowed me to get a feeling of what society is really like. Unlike the math problems I encounter in the classroom, where only one correct answer for every question. Real world problems may have several correct answers and require different approach to find them. The real world work also challenged me with problems which I would never encounter in a classroom. I made a little girl cry because I broke her “skeleton” while I was trying to apply a protective coating on it. All of her four brother and sisters received their “skeletons” but her. Second, it allowed me to earn self esteem with a sense of empowerment by engaging in community service where I was needed, appreciated and valued. Jennifer Collins, the event coordinator, made sure every volunteer was thanked at beginning of the event as well as after the event. She made everyone feel that they have accomplished something very important and it is good for the community. Third, the experience provided the environment in which I could gain problem-solving and organizational skills. I have never had the chance to supervise more than one child at a time. The Day of the Dead event permitted me to look after more than thirty children while interacting with their parents at same time. It required me to think fast and solve the arising problems fast. All without “answer keys” commonly found in classrooms. Finally, it develops character virtues and interpersonal habits such as communication, respect, responsibility, cooperation, and persistence. As my group mates and I were performing the job, we respected and trusted each other. By sharing the responsibilities and helping each other out, the event ran like clockwork. Service learning allowed me to get in touch with and educate myself on the community where I live in. It is impossible to gain such knowledge in classroom. Service learning also benefits communities as well. First, students are potential future employees with job skills and people skills that fit in that community. During service learning, service learners have already learned what the value of the given community was. It would be much easier for the new employees to adapt the “new” value. Second, service learning provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their citizenship skill; they become active stakeholders in the community. When was the last time anyone saw an adult doing face painting? “This is the best theory I have ever had. Way much better then ones I receive from my doctors!” A mother of three told me after she had finished face painting with her children. Her comment made me feel that I have done something right in the community where I live, as well as my own ability of making changes in this community. Finally, in a positive partnership such as service-learning, local non-profit organizations benefit from the knowledge, creativity, and enthusiasm students contribute to a project. A student from Butler named Sarah, who was one of my group mates, made a comment to the event coordinator regarding on the placement of the event’s brochures. Before she made the comment about the issue, the brochures were located behind the information desk and it required the attendees to request a copy though one of the Center’s employees in order to receive one. The Center implemented Sarah’s idea right away; they put the brochures at where they were mostly accessible, at the entrance where attendees could pick one up themselves. As illustrated above, service learning provides benefits to local communities. When I first chose this assignment I felt bad. Community service is not supposed to be fun! I only helped people paint masks and make skeleton refrigerator magnets. Through the community service I learned that people need art. Art can be just as necessary as food. It helps people understand different cultures. Art can make people feel a range of emotions. I found out art helps build bridges between diverse people. I came to view community service as more than boring soup kitchens. Do not get me wrong soup kitchens are important, but so are art centers. I am now a firm believer in having business school students to pass Community Service Learning class in order to graduate. In fact, I believe every high school and college student should take and pass this type of class. More students need to make a difference by community service volunteering. Read More