AMH2020 student
When coming up with ideas for a
Civic Engagement Project, most of my ideas stemmed from my want to help young
children in my community. My project came from an epiphany I had while thinking
about areas in my community that need help. “Go back to your elementary school
(Bond Elementary School) and start there” my mind told me.
So, that’s what I
did. I walked the halls of a school I used to attend and surveyed my old
teachers (or at least the ones that still work there) on what the problem areas
were for the students. Of the various responses, the most striking was when a
teacher told me that there are 1st graders who are reading on a
Pre-K reading level. The lack of advancement was not due to the children not
having the want to read, it was due to them not having enough resources or
encouragement outside of school hours to further their education. Bond Elementary
School, the school I will be volunteering with, is a Title 1 (Part A) school.
This means that the school receives special funding because majority of
students are from low-income areas. In turn, Leon County Schools strives to
prepare students to become responsible, respectful independent learners
equipped with the critical thinking skills necessary to compete in our global
society. And so, it was born. This semester, I had the opportunity to go to
Bond Elementary School and aid the young children in their journey to learn how
to read. In addition to that, I was able to be a mentor to them, be someone to
encourage them and just be a friend to them. Hopefully, this will not only give
them the gift of opening themselves to the wonderful world of books, but also
show them that someone cares about them and their success.
At the very heart
of who I am, I am a communicator. Whether it be written, verbal or nonverbal, I
always strive to communicate. From an early age, learning to read was a huge
part of how I learned to communicate. Pursuing both Communications and English
degrees, I have found that my want to teach others to communicate is even
bigger than my want to learn how to. Giving a child the power to read is giving
them access to a new world of endless possibilities.
People may or may not
always actively notice (haha), but words are everywhere! It absolutely breaks
my heart to think that there are children who don’t know how to read. They were
truly missing out on something so grand. I am beyond blessed to have been able
to be a part of their literary journey. I truly hope that I have been able to
leave my mark on the children of Bond Elementary School, they surely have left
theirs on me.
