The community service by school was a really great opportunity for us to understand and bond with kids who aren’t as privileged as us and whose parents are not able to provide them with the best education. It was a really memorable experience hosted every weekend for three weeks where we not only taught those kids but also got to learn a lot from them. Spending time with them was worth waking up early on weekends. I have always loved helping children and working with them and this service was the perfect opportunity for that.
LO1: Identify your own strengths and develop areas of growth.
During this service experience I took the science category which I myself knew little about, but I thought I could teach and while in the process learning something new myself. I also learned how to politely handle those children and work with them in a way that made them feel comfortable. Sometimes I would lose my patience trying to teach them , which is one weakness that I tried to work on as I realized this is all new to them and they are working on it for the first time and I have to give my best effort.
LO5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
I have always liked working alone and don’t do well under someone else’s instructions but here I realized that some things can be done better when we work together. Teaching the kids how to make science projects and helping them was so much easier with help from other peers. I even got to meet new people and make new friends. But at the same time it was not easy to work with them either, sometimes we all had different opinions and different ideas that we wanted to execute, though we eventually learned how to work collaboratively and respect all ideas and give equal opportunities. It even happened once that my partners were absent and I had to work all on my own but it only helped to handle situations in sudden situations.
LO6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance.
The global issue that was sustained during the community service was providing education to underprivileged children. I feel lucky that I was fortunate enough to have parents that could provide me with the best education and I feel very thankful that I was able to help these kids. Their smiles and the songs they sang for us at the end of all sessions made it all worth it.
By the end of the community service not only did I teach those kids but I also got to learn a lot from them. They taught me to value what I have and be grateful for the opportunities.
