For my project, I am volunteering at the BLC and holding a drive for needed items. This volunteering includes organizing and donating books for their library, organizing their supplies for the students, creating manuals for social networking sites, and securing donated guitars. With this, I will understand how an non-profit, immigrant education organization works (i.e. history, implementation, and running).
I will know when the first part of my project is complete after I have completed the 10 hours with my mentor over Christmas Break. These hours will include organizing the library, organizing supplies, and creating manuals. The remainder of my project will be completed after I have tried good and hard to secure at least one donated guitar, and I have conducted a drive for the BLC needs. All of this will be completed by January 27. For my speech in the Spring, I will present the knowledge I learned in the areas of immigrant education (specifically Spanish-English) and non profit organizations. I will be able to show the panel pictures of my volunteering examples as well as the end product of my drive.
My research paper, on the DREAM Act, and my hands-on project connect because they are both focused around immigrant education. Both the DREAM Act and the BLC work towards creating educational opportunities for immigrants so that they can participate as much as possible in the United States. Through these two subjects, that participation is made possible through education. The DREAM Act secures specific undocumented immigrants' access to postsecondary education, while the BLC offers language, GED, Naturalization, computer, and guitar classes to the immigrant workers of the Kentucky horse industry.
I am always driven by the social injustice that comes with the subject immigrant education, because I more than not relate it to the undocumented population's access to higher education. Secondly, I think about the discrimination and hardships these immigrants go through to get to our America. All of these emotions of frustration, anger, confusion, and sadness drive me to act proactivly and positively. Okay, I am aware of these injustices and problems, I am passionate about them, so I'm going to do something about it. Knowing that I can do my senior project on something I am newly passionate about, and that I will be helping people along the way, completely excites me and makes me very happy. Each meeting with Maggie I become more and more eager to start my hours.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
"Phone" Meeting!
I just got off the phone with Maggie for our first official meeting! It went GREAT! I am even more excited to start my project now that everything is organized and I know when I will be volunteering in Louisville over break.
Here were the key points in our conversation:
Mini Projects around the BLC
1) Library (TOP PRIORITY)
- needs organizing, cleaning, & updating
- update the collection (donation opportunity)
2) Class Materials (PRIORITY)
- organize supply boxes in classrooms & list what should be in them
*from here, identify what supplies are needed (donation opportunity)
3) Manuals
- type social networking & word document use manuals, step-by-step, for students
4) Guitars
- the center offers guitar classes; however, the center does not OWN a guitar for the students to practice on (donation opportunity)
Donation Opportunity
I told Maggie about my idea to hold a drive within my school, church, or county to get some of the most-needed supplies that the BLC needed, and she was totally up for it! While she was presenting the mini projects to me, she would mention, "This could be a part of your drive..." So, here are those ideas:
1) Books: update library collection w/ book drive (**books can be English or Spanish; need resource books; if don't "like" the books, they sell them and give the money back to the center)
2) School Supplies: after I organize the supply boxes, Maggie and I will identify what items are missing or need more of (items would include school supplies like notebooks, highlighters, pencils, etc.)
3) Guitar: she would like to have at least one for the students to practice with.
Dates Scheduled for me to Volunteer!
Wed, Dec 28 :: Volunteer Orientation 9-11 AM
Thrs, Dec 29 :: Library work 9 - 11 AM
Tues, Jan 3 :: 9-11 AM
Wed, Jan 4 :: 9-11 AM
Thrs, Jan 5 :: 9-11 AM
Monday, December 12, 2011
BLC research for meeting tomorrow
This is what the BLC offers during the "season" (which I will not be conducting my project during):
To impact the professional lives of the backside workers, the Learning Center offers Foundational programming which consists of:
Money:
I will be having a phone meeting with Maggie tomorrow, and I will ask her which of these items/money is most needed at the center. From there, hopefully I can organize a drive that can get the BLC some of those items.
Our Programming
To enhance both the professional and personal lives of the backside workers and their families, the Learning Center provides two types of programming: Foundational and Quality of Life.To impact the professional lives of the backside workers, the Learning Center offers Foundational programming which consists of:
Groom Elite™ - English Classes
- Spanish Class
- Computer Class and Services
- GED Tutoring
- Citizenship Class
- Lending Library
- Art
- Guitar
- Soccer
- Bowling
- Movie Night
- Field Trips
- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
- Bilingual Legal Clinics
Money:
- English as a Second Language
- English as a Second Language (ESL) Programming $15,000
- One of three ESL classes $3,600
- Tuition for one ESL student $250
- ESL class materials for one participant $50 Groom Elite
- Groom Elite Program $15,000
- One Groom Elite Class $5,000
- Tuition for one Groom Elite student $250
- Groom Elite class materials for one participant $50
- Any book for adults written in Spanish
- Bilingual books
- Audio books with accompanying texts, particularly shorter or easier books, poetry or
- adult-appropriate learning-to-read books
- Spanish-English dictionaries
- Soccer shoes - size 8, 8 ½, 9, 9 ½, 10 - gently used is fine
- Soccer balls
- Class supplies, especially notebooks, binders, pencils, dry erase markers
- 2 Kaplan GED 2009-2010 Edition textbooks
- 1 Kaplan GED en Español textbook 2009
- 10 Pimsleur® Ingles: English For Spanish Speakers with Audio CD
- 2 2009 Road Map Atlases
- 2 Wall Clocks
- 10 new headphone sets with long cords
- AA Rechargeable Batteries
- UpWords game
- New Paper Cutter
- External Hard Drives
- Candy
- Snacks
Book Donations
We receive book donations year-round. That is how we have so many books. If you are interested in donating books to the Learning Center, contact the Learning Center. Any books that we do not use, we take to Half Price Books and sell, so we benefit from all book donationsI will be having a phone meeting with Maggie tomorrow, and I will ask her which of these items/money is most needed at the center. From there, hopefully I can organize a drive that can get the BLC some of those items.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
BLC Classes & Photos
Blog Entry #2
So, Mentor is now known as Maggie. She is the Volutneer Coordinator at the Backside Learning Center (BLC). I am not sure whether Maggie gets payed or not for this, or rather that she is just a dedicated volunteer. However, I know that she must have spent some significant amount of time with the BLC because she has official office hours at the center. The center opperates totally on volutneer teachers, coordinators, and donations, and Maggie networks all of those people to make the BLC actually work!
I got connected with Maggie after a GSP fieldtrip to the BLC to study Kentucky immigration's effect on the horse industry. When I got into senior project class, I e-mailed tons of other immigrant education organizations; however, I had forgotten about the BLC! Sort of last minute, I e-mailed the contact at the Center, and I received an e-mail the day after with concrete project ideas from Maggie.
The first time I spoke with my mentor, it was through e-mail. I could tell that she was incredibly passionate about her volunteering with the BLC and that she was enthusiastic and open to work with my schedule and use my talents to help the BLC. She was just so welcoming and encouraging; I became very excited to work with her. I have yet to meet her in person or talk to ther on the phone, but our first phone meeting is coming up very soon!
I plan to log the majority of my hours with Maggie over Christmas break, as that is the only time that her office hours and my schedule coincide. In working with Maggie overall, I plan on attaining the knowledge of how to approach immigrant education and how to run the coordinating part of an organization. In greater detail, my volutneer/senior project log hours will be filled with creating manuals for the students, organizing files, securing donations, and, hopefully, conducting a drive in Franklin County for items that the BLC needs.
Maggie plays a role in my project because I will be directed by her on what I can do to help the BLC. She will assign projects to me that she feels I can do successfully. Also, through talking with her I will understand how a center such as this runs. I am most excited about conversing with her about the rewards and harships in volunteering with the center, as well as hearing moving anecdotes about her experience with immigrant education.
I got connected with Maggie after a GSP fieldtrip to the BLC to study Kentucky immigration's effect on the horse industry. When I got into senior project class, I e-mailed tons of other immigrant education organizations; however, I had forgotten about the BLC! Sort of last minute, I e-mailed the contact at the Center, and I received an e-mail the day after with concrete project ideas from Maggie.
The first time I spoke with my mentor, it was through e-mail. I could tell that she was incredibly passionate about her volunteering with the BLC and that she was enthusiastic and open to work with my schedule and use my talents to help the BLC. She was just so welcoming and encouraging; I became very excited to work with her. I have yet to meet her in person or talk to ther on the phone, but our first phone meeting is coming up very soon!
I plan to log the majority of my hours with Maggie over Christmas break, as that is the only time that her office hours and my schedule coincide. In working with Maggie overall, I plan on attaining the knowledge of how to approach immigrant education and how to run the coordinating part of an organization. In greater detail, my volutneer/senior project log hours will be filled with creating manuals for the students, organizing files, securing donations, and, hopefully, conducting a drive in Franklin County for items that the BLC needs.
Maggie plays a role in my project because I will be directed by her on what I can do to help the BLC. She will assign projects to me that she feels I can do successfully. Also, through talking with her I will understand how a center such as this runs. I am most excited about conversing with her about the rewards and harships in volunteering with the center, as well as hearing moving anecdotes about her experience with immigrant education.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
First official "meeting" with Mentor!
My mentor is out of the office this first week of our senior project release time, but we have scheduled to have an official "meeting" next week! On December 13th, Mentor and I will have a phone "meeting" during release time (I can't see her in person because she's in Louisville!) and talk about all the details of my project(s). I'm super excited!
In the meantime, I will be researching more about the BLC and try and find some videos about the immigrant point of view on Kentucky's horse industry. Until next time!
In the meantime, I will be researching more about the BLC and try and find some videos about the immigrant point of view on Kentucky's horse industry. Until next time!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Blog Entry #1: la primera entrada :D
I, Jeri, am creating this blog in anticipation. I cannot wait to fill it with posts about my learning experiences, emotional reflections, and struggles and accomplishments alike while volunteering at The Backside Learning Center. Immigrant education has recently become a passion of mine, ever since I tutored two, young immigrant boys from Mexico over the summer. My paper was on the DREAM Act which focuses completely on opening up financial aid opportunities for undocumented immigrant children who entered the U.S. before the age of fifteen (among other qualifications) so that they can go to college. So, naturally, I think of students my age or younger when I think of "immigrant education." At The Backside Learning Center, though, it is adult education. It is teaching ESL classes, guitar classes, leadership workshops, soccer games. It is creating a community for the traveling horse track workers of Kentucky - a sort of "concreteness" they can find among their travels throughout the racing season. It is deconstructing the language barrier between employee and employer by offering Spanish and English classes. It is receiving donations for the students so that they can continue their classes online while they travel. It is helping U.S. immigrants to have other opportunities and break the "status quo" of their employment stereotypes, if they choose to do so. This is why I chose this project and subject. This is immigrant education.
For the project, I will be volunteering with The Backside Learning Center. Even though the center is not teaching students right now as the horses are "further south," my mentor (she will hereby be known as "Mentor") offered many opportunities for me to help. She said they need help planning for the next teaching "season," and I can make manuals for using social networking sites and the guitar class. Also, the center needs help organizing all of their documents and fixing up their bulletin board (to let people know what's going on at the center!). Finally, I hope to identify the center's biggest donation need and hold a drive or fundraiser in Franklin County for those items.
In the beginning, I chose Mentor because she was the only organization the e-mailed me back with any concrete projects that I could do. I believe it is meant to be that she was the only one because after more research into the center, I have become extremely excited about working with an organization with such a powerful change. This service to the immigrant population is also a service to Kentucky. I first learned about The Backside Learning Center while at GSP; we visited the center and met some of the students. Then, I remembered this field trip and e-mailed them. They replied. Mentor is a volunteer at the Center and helps with many of its functions. She is excited to work with me, as well as work with my schedule.
Some concerns that I have are that I will not be actually working with students. I initially wanted to work hands-on with students, but the Center is not in "season." However, I know that through my volunteer work at the BLC I will be indirectly helping the students for the next time they are at the center. Also, Mentor's hours are from 8 AM to 4:30 PM. I cannot go to her office during release time because it is in Louisville, and I cannot make it to the center in time after school because of the 1 hour drive to Louisville. Mentor is working with me, though, and said that I can do the majority of my volunteering over my Christmas break. Otherwise, I will be having phone conversations and possibly working on manuals at home.
I am very excited about my project! ¡Vamos!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXKQ-Hva4vI -- BLC Promotional Video
For the project, I will be volunteering with The Backside Learning Center. Even though the center is not teaching students right now as the horses are "further south," my mentor (she will hereby be known as "Mentor") offered many opportunities for me to help. She said they need help planning for the next teaching "season," and I can make manuals for using social networking sites and the guitar class. Also, the center needs help organizing all of their documents and fixing up their bulletin board (to let people know what's going on at the center!). Finally, I hope to identify the center's biggest donation need and hold a drive or fundraiser in Franklin County for those items.
In the beginning, I chose Mentor because she was the only organization the e-mailed me back with any concrete projects that I could do. I believe it is meant to be that she was the only one because after more research into the center, I have become extremely excited about working with an organization with such a powerful change. This service to the immigrant population is also a service to Kentucky. I first learned about The Backside Learning Center while at GSP; we visited the center and met some of the students. Then, I remembered this field trip and e-mailed them. They replied. Mentor is a volunteer at the Center and helps with many of its functions. She is excited to work with me, as well as work with my schedule.
Some concerns that I have are that I will not be actually working with students. I initially wanted to work hands-on with students, but the Center is not in "season." However, I know that through my volunteer work at the BLC I will be indirectly helping the students for the next time they are at the center. Also, Mentor's hours are from 8 AM to 4:30 PM. I cannot go to her office during release time because it is in Louisville, and I cannot make it to the center in time after school because of the 1 hour drive to Louisville. Mentor is working with me, though, and said that I can do the majority of my volunteering over my Christmas break. Otherwise, I will be having phone conversations and possibly working on manuals at home.
I am very excited about my project! ¡Vamos!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXKQ-Hva4vI -- BLC Promotional Video
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