Final Project

Film 150 Final Project

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Escuela Vieau has a program that could never be run by one or two people. Their branch of the boys and girls club is an collective effort by students, staff, and volunteers. They all work together for the benefit of the students and the community. Their program for teaching adults the English language is a benefit that parents and members of the community can take advantage of. During Easter I realized that the parents play a large part keeping by children involved and supporting Escuela Vieau's various events. While the school offers much to the neighborhood, their main focus is the students. The Boys and Girls club gives them an after school program which provides them with a long list of activities to keep them busy. Most students love the program. Even if there are some things they don't like almost everyone has a reason they like being there whether it is a class, friends, or the chance to play outside. It no doubt aids in keeping the students interested and involved in school and it appears to be working quite well. They take pride in their school and want to help out. Every time a teacher asks for someone to carry something or sweep the halls everyone’s hands shoot up. While sometimes they may work messy they always make sure to clean up afterwards. Sometimes it seems like the students are doing more work than the volunteers are. The combined efforts of all the actors in the program are what make it so great. Escuela Viaue has succeeded in becoming more than a school; it is a member of the community. The services they offer go beyond the education of children and they help shape the neighborhood and the people in it.

Journal Reflection 3

My last day of service learning seemed much more quiet than usual. The students seemed much calmer and there was noticeably less of them. The day's arts and crafts activity was creating Mother's day cards; something the students could easily do on their own. This worked well because I had an interview scheduled for summer work with the Boys and Girls club. During the interview a lot of emphasis was put on communication. I would need to be able to not only reach the students but also parents and staff that may not be fluent in English. We went over some of my experiences at the school and how I worked with, adjusted to, and learned from them. Each summer program has a cultural theme they like to teach the children and this year's is Africa. I would be given a grade and be put in charge of teaching them about African culture while making it fun and interesting. Ultimately they believed in me enough to offer me the job which I accepted. I'm very happy to be able to not only continue working with the students and staff that I've inadvertently ended up growing so close to but to also be paid for it. In the end I'd have to say that I've gained a lot in a lot of ways during my service learning experience.

Journal Reflection 2

This week at Escuela Vieau the staff was throwing and Easter celebration for the students and their family. It's a large event hosted every year with everything from music to a book fair to a staff member dressed up in an Easter bunny costume. It takes a lot of people to run the event and every volunteer counts. Many of the students including myself came to get extra hours and a chance to take some good photos. Hours before parents started coming, staff and volunteers were setting everything up and getting their stations ready. I was assigned to the face painting station. I was able to talk to a lot of parents while I was painting faces so I used it as an opportunity to ask some questions. Many of the parents came to support the school by partaking in the raffle and get photos of their children with the "Easter bunny". They all think very highly of the after school programs provided for their children and they want to show their support of it. While the parents are not very visible they are an incredibly important in keeping their kids involved. Without their support the program would not exist.

Vieau Images

Multimedia Essay

Multimedia essay

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To better capture the culture of the neighborhood I decided to do my project during the yearly Easter celebration held at Escuela Vieau. This allowed me to get a better feel for the area as both students and their parents came. After gathering photos of the school and students I selected a few to show how the program benefits the students and the community. It is obvious that the students love their school, their teachers, and all that they provide for them. Many parents took their children to the event and helped support the school with raffle tickets. These events help the school and the Boys and Girls club program along with keeping parents and children active within their community. Students and teachers are very close and everyone seems very comfortable with each other. Parents where polite and socialized with staff and other parents while their children enjoyed the multiple activities provided for them. The parents no doubt like the extra programs the school has to offer as plenty of students are involved. Both parents and their children are very respectful to anyone who is helping the school. The camera allowed me to very successfully capture people interacting naturally. It also allowed me to put emphasis on some of the differences I’ve noticed in my time at Escuela Vieau. The walls are often decorated with the work of the students and there is a blend of both English and Spanish all throughout the halls; things that I don’t recall when I was in elementary school. While I believe I have not spent enough time there to really learn anything extraordinary, I have found that the school is run much differently than mine was. I find it to be a much closer and more involved learning environment which benefits every student.

Journal Reflection 1

I spent my first day volunteering at Escuela Vieau making a quilt with the students. Each student had a small square of fabric to write a message about their families with a picture. I helped draw on the squares and write down their messages; most of them in Spanish. They wrote about their mothers, fathers, siblings, grandparents, or anyone important to them. They talk and joke with each other just like any other kid you would find at any other school. Many of them are friends with each other and know each others families quite well. The staff designated to run these programs genuinely care about the well being of their students and make an effort to connect with them. They speak with many of the children in Spanish even though most students talk to each other in English. Students there are much more respectful of adults than they were at any of my schools. Everything is run very much like a family, the staff and students are all very close with each other and the atmosphere is incredibly comfortable. It is reflected in everything you see in the people there and I am sure the students there benefit from it educationally and culturally.