1. Activism:
After kind of feeling like we failed at our service learning project with the Girl Scouts, we were put in contact with a church where we could help lead their youth group and teach them about leadership through games and fun activities. So on Dec 3rd and 4th we got to volunteer at the St. Matthews Church, which worried me a little at first but was actually really fun. On Saturday, St Matthews was having their annual holiday get-together where there is a movie and treats for the kids and dinner and a raffle for the adults, our goal was to keep these children entertained with various leadership games, for example elbow tag seemed to be a very popular one, we also played a few others like four corners and had obstacle courses that the children had to lead each other through blind-folded. On Sunday we got to be a part of the children’s youth group and Reverend Sonia taught us all about the month of advent and we made advent chains and also had the children cut out pictures and words from magazines about what they think a leader is. I felt that these two events were extremely successful and it was a nice way to end our service learning project, because we had so much fun.
2. Reflection:
In the book Youth Leadership: A Guide to Understanding Leadership Development in Adolescents, Linden and Fertman write that the true value of activities in relation to leadership development is that they provide adolescents with fuel for thought (54). I feel like on Sunday when we were with a smaller group of kids and actually had the chance to sit down and talk about leadership and how they can be leaders in their communities, we actually gave them something to reflect on and maybe change their perspectives on themselves. According to Linden and Fertman that in reflecting, adolescents acquire insights that allow them to build on their strengths and set goals in areas where they know they need further development (54). You could see by some of the pictures and words these children were cutting out that they had already had time to reflect on some of their future goals and what they think makes a strong leader.
3. Reciprocity:
Even though this was not our original goal of our service learning project, I feel like these two events were more successful than any of our other events because we actually got to interact with more than two children and got to see the various ways that children can become leaders within their peer groups and in certain situations. It also was interesting for me not being raised in a very religious family to see how these families and children interact in the church setting, everyone was very friendly and I really enjoyed working with Reverend Sonia and her congregation.
Word Count: 481
Works Cited
Fertman, Josephine A. van Linden and Carl I. Youth Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc., 1998.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Service Learning Log #2
Activism:
This week should be a good week for our service learning project; we are having our big event this Saturday with the Girl Scouts at a park in Deltona. The plan is to have each girl bring a can good to the event as their “admission” and then we are going to play games and have ice breakers, and I also think we are going to do arts and crafts and make baskets of food for the homeless shelter. Hopefully this event will be successful and more girls will show up.
Reflection:
The activism we are doing this week relates to what we are learning in class because we just read the article Change It Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership from The Girl Scouts of America and it talks about how girls are rethinking their views on leadership and it states that a lot of young girls are ambivalent about leadership itself and that their greatest single barrier is self-perception and a lack of confidence in their own skills and competencies (9). These young girls are saying that the idea of leadership needs to change to fully engage them, so hopefully in working with these girls we can help them see leadership as a positive thing and as something they can achieve with whatever skills and competencies that they have.
Reciprocity:
I am learning a lot from this service learning project in terms of girls and leadership, however I am also seeing all the difficulties associated with youth leadership and adult intervention. It’s been nice working with these girls to foster a sense of community and to learn more about their views on leadership.
Works Cited:
Fleshman, Paula, and Salmond, Kimberlee, and Schoenberg, Judy. Change it Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership. New York: Girl Scouts of the USA, 2008. Executive Summary.
This week should be a good week for our service learning project; we are having our big event this Saturday with the Girl Scouts at a park in Deltona. The plan is to have each girl bring a can good to the event as their “admission” and then we are going to play games and have ice breakers, and I also think we are going to do arts and crafts and make baskets of food for the homeless shelter. Hopefully this event will be successful and more girls will show up.
Reflection:
The activism we are doing this week relates to what we are learning in class because we just read the article Change It Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership from The Girl Scouts of America and it talks about how girls are rethinking their views on leadership and it states that a lot of young girls are ambivalent about leadership itself and that their greatest single barrier is self-perception and a lack of confidence in their own skills and competencies (9). These young girls are saying that the idea of leadership needs to change to fully engage them, so hopefully in working with these girls we can help them see leadership as a positive thing and as something they can achieve with whatever skills and competencies that they have.
Reciprocity:
I am learning a lot from this service learning project in terms of girls and leadership, however I am also seeing all the difficulties associated with youth leadership and adult intervention. It’s been nice working with these girls to foster a sense of community and to learn more about their views on leadership.
Works Cited:
Fleshman, Paula, and Salmond, Kimberlee, and Schoenberg, Judy. Change it Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership. New York: Girl Scouts of the USA, 2008. Executive Summary.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Service Learning Log #1
Activism:
Last Saturday, Abi, myself, Jacqui, Erica and Candace went to Safehouse of Seminole and tie-dyed shirts with two of the girl scouts from our troop and most of the children who are at Safehouse. All in all I think our first small event was a good one, even though we only had two of the Girl Scouts show up, we involved all of the children and it was a lot of fun. Our only pitfall this week was not a lot of Girl Scouts showing up but hopefully with our next big event more will be attending. I think we just need to make sure we keep in touch with the troop leader so we can make sure we have more girls in attendance, I know if must be hard to organize that many young girls together when everyone has very different schedule, hopefully we can though.
Reflection:
The activism we have done this week relates to what we are discussing in class because we were discussing The Girl Scouts’ leadership programs and we got to see it firsthand when we worked with the girls. The Girl Scouts believe highly in adult involvement with group leadership and to a certain extent it makes a lot of sense when working with girls that are ages 8-13. Van Linden and Fertman say that adults can help focus adolescents attention on group dynamics among their peers during classes and activities, adults can play a major role in helping adolescents set priorities and manage stress (Van Linden and Fertman 90). In working with the Girl Scouts on Saturday we got to see their leadership skills come out, the girls pretty much took over and we’re helping to explain how to tie-dye to the other children and helping them put on gloves and the little trash bag outfits they made for them so no one got messy. We “the adults” were still there to help facilitate and kind of guide the experience but the girls did an amazing job with those children and I’m looking forward to working more with them.
Reciprocity:
It was really an amazing experience working with the Girl Scouts and children at the shelter, it’s wonderful to see these young girls getting out in their community and getting involved, I know when I was that age all I wanted to do on a Saturday was sleep in and play with my friends, I think the Girl Scouts are a great organization and girls can really do a lot for their community by being a part of it.
Works Cited
Fertman, Josephine A. van Linden and Carl I. Youth Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc., 1998.
Last Saturday, Abi, myself, Jacqui, Erica and Candace went to Safehouse of Seminole and tie-dyed shirts with two of the girl scouts from our troop and most of the children who are at Safehouse. All in all I think our first small event was a good one, even though we only had two of the Girl Scouts show up, we involved all of the children and it was a lot of fun. Our only pitfall this week was not a lot of Girl Scouts showing up but hopefully with our next big event more will be attending. I think we just need to make sure we keep in touch with the troop leader so we can make sure we have more girls in attendance, I know if must be hard to organize that many young girls together when everyone has very different schedule, hopefully we can though.
Reflection:
The activism we have done this week relates to what we are discussing in class because we were discussing The Girl Scouts’ leadership programs and we got to see it firsthand when we worked with the girls. The Girl Scouts believe highly in adult involvement with group leadership and to a certain extent it makes a lot of sense when working with girls that are ages 8-13. Van Linden and Fertman say that adults can help focus adolescents attention on group dynamics among their peers during classes and activities, adults can play a major role in helping adolescents set priorities and manage stress (Van Linden and Fertman 90). In working with the Girl Scouts on Saturday we got to see their leadership skills come out, the girls pretty much took over and we’re helping to explain how to tie-dye to the other children and helping them put on gloves and the little trash bag outfits they made for them so no one got messy. We “the adults” were still there to help facilitate and kind of guide the experience but the girls did an amazing job with those children and I’m looking forward to working more with them.
Reciprocity:
It was really an amazing experience working with the Girl Scouts and children at the shelter, it’s wonderful to see these young girls getting out in their community and getting involved, I know when I was that age all I wanted to do on a Saturday was sleep in and play with my friends, I think the Girl Scouts are a great organization and girls can really do a lot for their community by being a part of it.
Works Cited
Fertman, Josephine A. van Linden and Carl I. Youth Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc., 1998.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Service Learning Proposal
SL Proposal
Service Learning Proposal for Girl Scouts of America
By: Erica H, Ashleigh A, Nichole R, Abi R, Candace T, Jacqui C, Valerie T, Anna S. and Esteffani C.
September 29, 2011
Meredith Tweed
WST4021-0001
Community Partner Profile:
Community Partner: Girl Scouts of the United States of America, Florida Citrus Council, Troop #331
Contact Information: Judy Williamson, Troop Leader: troop331deltona@gmail.com
Our Community partner for service learning is the Girl Scouts of the USA, particularly Troop #331 of the Florida Citrus Council. They are part of the Florida Citrus council branch of Girl Scouts of the USA. The Girl Scouts program was formed almost a century ago in 1912 by Juliette Low, whose goal was to give girls the opportunity to explore their communities and to get out of the confinements of their homes. Today there are over two million girls participating in the Girl Scouts, with almost one million adults participating as volunteers. The mission of Girl Scouts is to “…build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place” (Girl Scouts). Through the numerous activities that the girls are able to participate in, ranging from field trips to community service, this organization aims to provide girls with the tools to develop themselves both socially and individually. The organization gets their funding from an array of partners. These partners include individuals, corporations and government entities. GSUSA acknowledges that girls have constantly changing needs.
Second-Level Community Partner: SafeHouse of Seminole County
SafeHouse of Seminole is a shelter that provides a secure environment for women and children who have fallen victim to domestic violence. SafeHouse currently provides a variety of counseling and outreach programs for women coping with the trauma that domestic violence causes. SafeHouse also gives access to an emergency shelter, crisis hotline, and court advocacy for those who need it. As the percentage of women who experience domestic violence continues to climb over 20%, establishments like SafeHouse have become a vital part of our society.
The Proposal:
Memorandum
TO: Meredith L. Tweed
FROM: Valerie Tindall
DATE: September 29, 2011
RE: Proposal to Write a Feasibility Report for a Service Learning Project
Girl Scouts of the USA Troop #331 needs assistance in planning and carrying out activities and events for community service. This includes not only smaller-scale service day activities for the girls in Troop #331, but also a larger-scale day of service for the entire Rainbow Lakes unit of Girl Scouts which Troop #331 belongs to. These service days must be appropriate for the girls, address a specific community need and stay true to the fun spirit of the Girl Scouts.
Many women who are seeking refuge at SafeHouse do so without any material possessions, as well as a lack of resources to provide themselves with items such as hygiene projects. Similarly, the organization needs volunteers in assisting with gardening and other maintenance services.
Plan of Action Proposal:
We have several plans to help the girls understand the influence they can have on their community. One of the events we are planning will be with the SafeHouse of Seminole. We will be doing direct service by performing any service needed by the organization. We are also going to be doing indirect service by making bags which will contain personal hygiene products. This will help the girls to understand that both indirect and direct service with organizations can be beneficial to themselves as well as the community on the whole.
The second, larger event is still in the planning stages. The tentative plan is to have a “Fun Day” that will join the girls from YWLP and the Rainbow Lakes Girl Scouts unit together to help the girls develop leadership. During this event, the Girl Scouts will collect cans and non-perishable items to donate to a non-profit organization, and also participate in Fun Day activities at a local skating rink (or similar location). Each troop will be responsible for creating or bringing something to the event, such as a holiday basket for donation.
Rationale:
Our Service Learning project relates to our Girls and Leadership course because we are working with a local Girl Scout Troop, which provides young girls with the tools to develop their leadership skills through various activities and community involvement, according to Van Linden and Fertman “not only is leadership reflective of the larger society or environment but it is also shaped and molded within specific organizations, groups, and situations” (10). Working with the Girl Scouts will allow us to witness firsthand the leadership skills these girls have already acquired as well as exposing them to various ways of being a leader through community involvement and group activities.
Action Steps Taken Thus Far:
Jacqui has already contacted the troop leaders regarding our interest in volunteering with them this semester. We have presented them with all of our possible volunteer opportunities, which they have confirmed their interest in. We are currently working out definite dates. We are making plans to contact several companies to solicit donations of sample products. Erica has already acquired one case of face wash for these bags.
Each group member is responsible for an equal share of their time and work in order to accomplish both of these goals. We hope that each member of our team will be able to attend all of the events, but each member is required to help plan and coordinate at least one event.
Timeline for Action:
October 1: Contact Judy Williamson with proposed dates
October 9: Possible meet and greet with Troop 331
October 29: Fun Day event
TBD: Volunteer Day at SafeHouse
TBD: Troop 331 event - Making care packages to be donated
Works Cited
Girl Scouts of the United States of America. Who We Are. 2011. 28 September 2011
Van Linden, Josephine. Youth Leadership: A Guide to Understanding Leadership Devel opment in Adolescents. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998. Print.
Word Count: 998
Service Learning Proposal for Girl Scouts of America
By: Erica H, Ashleigh A, Nichole R, Abi R, Candace T, Jacqui C, Valerie T, Anna S. and Esteffani C.
September 29, 2011
Meredith Tweed
WST4021-0001
Community Partner Profile:
Community Partner: Girl Scouts of the United States of America, Florida Citrus Council, Troop #331
Contact Information: Judy Williamson, Troop Leader: troop331deltona@gmail.com
Our Community partner for service learning is the Girl Scouts of the USA, particularly Troop #331 of the Florida Citrus Council. They are part of the Florida Citrus council branch of Girl Scouts of the USA. The Girl Scouts program was formed almost a century ago in 1912 by Juliette Low, whose goal was to give girls the opportunity to explore their communities and to get out of the confinements of their homes. Today there are over two million girls participating in the Girl Scouts, with almost one million adults participating as volunteers. The mission of Girl Scouts is to “…build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place” (Girl Scouts). Through the numerous activities that the girls are able to participate in, ranging from field trips to community service, this organization aims to provide girls with the tools to develop themselves both socially and individually. The organization gets their funding from an array of partners. These partners include individuals, corporations and government entities. GSUSA acknowledges that girls have constantly changing needs.
Second-Level Community Partner: SafeHouse of Seminole County
SafeHouse of Seminole is a shelter that provides a secure environment for women and children who have fallen victim to domestic violence. SafeHouse currently provides a variety of counseling and outreach programs for women coping with the trauma that domestic violence causes. SafeHouse also gives access to an emergency shelter, crisis hotline, and court advocacy for those who need it. As the percentage of women who experience domestic violence continues to climb over 20%, establishments like SafeHouse have become a vital part of our society.
The Proposal:
Memorandum
TO: Meredith L. Tweed
FROM: Valerie Tindall
DATE: September 29, 2011
RE: Proposal to Write a Feasibility Report for a Service Learning Project
Girl Scouts of the USA Troop #331 needs assistance in planning and carrying out activities and events for community service. This includes not only smaller-scale service day activities for the girls in Troop #331, but also a larger-scale day of service for the entire Rainbow Lakes unit of Girl Scouts which Troop #331 belongs to. These service days must be appropriate for the girls, address a specific community need and stay true to the fun spirit of the Girl Scouts.
Many women who are seeking refuge at SafeHouse do so without any material possessions, as well as a lack of resources to provide themselves with items such as hygiene projects. Similarly, the organization needs volunteers in assisting with gardening and other maintenance services.
Plan of Action Proposal:
We have several plans to help the girls understand the influence they can have on their community. One of the events we are planning will be with the SafeHouse of Seminole. We will be doing direct service by performing any service needed by the organization. We are also going to be doing indirect service by making bags which will contain personal hygiene products. This will help the girls to understand that both indirect and direct service with organizations can be beneficial to themselves as well as the community on the whole.
The second, larger event is still in the planning stages. The tentative plan is to have a “Fun Day” that will join the girls from YWLP and the Rainbow Lakes Girl Scouts unit together to help the girls develop leadership. During this event, the Girl Scouts will collect cans and non-perishable items to donate to a non-profit organization, and also participate in Fun Day activities at a local skating rink (or similar location). Each troop will be responsible for creating or bringing something to the event, such as a holiday basket for donation.
Rationale:
Our Service Learning project relates to our Girls and Leadership course because we are working with a local Girl Scout Troop, which provides young girls with the tools to develop their leadership skills through various activities and community involvement, according to Van Linden and Fertman “not only is leadership reflective of the larger society or environment but it is also shaped and molded within specific organizations, groups, and situations” (10). Working with the Girl Scouts will allow us to witness firsthand the leadership skills these girls have already acquired as well as exposing them to various ways of being a leader through community involvement and group activities.
Action Steps Taken Thus Far:
Jacqui has already contacted the troop leaders regarding our interest in volunteering with them this semester. We have presented them with all of our possible volunteer opportunities, which they have confirmed their interest in. We are currently working out definite dates. We are making plans to contact several companies to solicit donations of sample products. Erica has already acquired one case of face wash for these bags.
Each group member is responsible for an equal share of their time and work in order to accomplish both of these goals. We hope that each member of our team will be able to attend all of the events, but each member is required to help plan and coordinate at least one event.
Timeline for Action:
October 1: Contact Judy Williamson with proposed dates
October 9: Possible meet and greet with Troop 331
October 29: Fun Day event
TBD: Volunteer Day at SafeHouse
TBD: Troop 331 event - Making care packages to be donated
Works Cited
Girl Scouts of the United States of America. Who We Are. 2011. 28 September 2011
Van Linden, Josephine. Youth Leadership: A Guide to Understanding Leadership Devel opment in Adolescents. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998. Print.
Word Count: 998
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Introductory Letter
Hi everybody! My name is Valerie Tindall and I am a senior here at UCF, my major is Women’s Studies with a minor in Communications (still very undecided as to what I am going to do with the Communications minor though). I am originally from Cooper City Florida, which is a small suburb outside of Fort Lauderdale, but I’ve been living in Orlando for about seven years now. Growing up I was raised in a very feminist, liberal household so going into Women’s Studies just seemed like a very natural thing for me to do and I was very interested in the history of Women’s Studies and how everything began and where it is going today.
Defining leadership, I feel is a difficult thing to do because everyone has a different definition for it, but to me it’s about taking on the responsibility of guiding or directing people. My father always told me that I had the personality to be a military strong-arm of a small country (I’m assuming that means I’m bossy and stubborn but in a good way), and there are some days I feel like a leader and then I’m put into certain situations and I can become very shy and quiet. I am hoping this class will help bring out the leader in me all the time.
As far as being a leader right now, I am a shift supervisor at Starbucks so I am responsible for directing the baristas that I work with on what to do and how to do it and if I didn’t have strong leadership skills, it would make the job very difficult, luckily I am very good at my job. I am excited we are going to be working with a Girl Scout troop this semester. I think it’s very important for girls to have positive role models in their lives that instill a good sense of self and show them that they can be anything if they put their mind to it.
Like I said before, I was raised with a very strong feminist mother and I was always told I could do anything and be anything in life and I know I’m very fortunate in that because some girls aren’t so lucky. That’s why I think girl’s studies is so important, because it teaches us about the ways different cultures and society affect girls as a whole.
I have read, understand and agree to the terms of the course and the blogging protocols.
Defining leadership, I feel is a difficult thing to do because everyone has a different definition for it, but to me it’s about taking on the responsibility of guiding or directing people. My father always told me that I had the personality to be a military strong-arm of a small country (I’m assuming that means I’m bossy and stubborn but in a good way), and there are some days I feel like a leader and then I’m put into certain situations and I can become very shy and quiet. I am hoping this class will help bring out the leader in me all the time.
As far as being a leader right now, I am a shift supervisor at Starbucks so I am responsible for directing the baristas that I work with on what to do and how to do it and if I didn’t have strong leadership skills, it would make the job very difficult, luckily I am very good at my job. I am excited we are going to be working with a Girl Scout troop this semester. I think it’s very important for girls to have positive role models in their lives that instill a good sense of self and show them that they can be anything if they put their mind to it.
Like I said before, I was raised with a very strong feminist mother and I was always told I could do anything and be anything in life and I know I’m very fortunate in that because some girls aren’t so lucky. That’s why I think girl’s studies is so important, because it teaches us about the ways different cultures and society affect girls as a whole.
I have read, understand and agree to the terms of the course and the blogging protocols.
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