My work here is nothing like I thought it would be. Things have changed and I'm so grateful they have. Among the things I'm doing is helping establish a pilot after-school program for forty children in a small village. It's not just for children, but it is for families as well. The program is concentrating on the future of these children in a holistic manner. I work with the children, the facilitators, the parents and the Ministry of Social Transformation.
Many of the children cannot read and some cannot do simple math. Tutoring is embedded into the program that includes life skills, IT, the arts, and a new sports program to learn tennis.
Shopping was a major activity during my three week vacation at home. I purchased things for every aspect of the program:
• Books to teach children to read and books to help those that can appreciate the value of a book club, giving them entertainment during the summer.
• Software to teach children to type, tutor them in math and help them be creative
• Mountains of stickers, glue, glitter, buttons and sparkley stuff to spark they creative selves.
• Three new tennis rackets will give them more court time.
• Games, games and more games to help them learn to read, do math and think creatively
• Movies and films to show to parents and children which will serve as entertainment during the summer, as well as a catalyst to talk about family values.
• A camera and Flip Video which will be used to document the two year pilot program and also used in a variety of learning activities, such as blogging and creating music video entertainment.
To those that helped me make this possible, thank you for all you did. I assure you that you have touched the lives of several children, if not all of them, in ways that will likely not be revealed to you, but known to them. It’s just the way life works and creates the real meaning of giving. The next blog entry are those you helped.
A CHRISTMAS EVENT
I usually like to plan these things well in advance. If I led the activity, I would put a team together and hold meetings. The meetings would be at least weekly and as time moved quickly to the day of the event. We would discuss infinite details and construct a risk management plan, usually in our heads, but sometimes on paper and always discussed. Yes, events that I worked on in the past were planned to the smallest detail. At least they were until I moved to Saint Lucia.
Three days before the children were to put on their costumes, say their lines and sing their songs, the planning began. I was in the room when the children were told what they would be doing. There reaction was, “We can’t do that!” Brenda skillfully told them, “Oh yes you can – and you will”. I was told two days before the event that they needed a PowerPoint show with all the pictures that had been taken of the children. After that they wanted a “skit” about what they were learning in IT. Although not vocalized, my reaction was much like the children’s reaction.
It’s amazing how well this activity turned out. Sure there were a few flaws here and there. The program began an hour late and the costumes were borrowed dresses from their grandmothers. What’s more amazing is that the boys willingly wore the dresses. Imagination is used in the face of lacking resources. The children’s play was an entertaining segment of the birth of the Christ Child.
They are being given voice lessons in Creative Arts and one child has an interesting voice and is assigned the solo in the piece.
The children are being taught a new sport: tennis. Although they don’t have enough rackets, no net and a graveled field is used as the court, the children are learning how to play the game. They performed a skit about the game.
Academic support is taught be a teacher with over 30 years of experience. She is kind, gentle and firm with the children. It is difficult for me to watch so many children struggle with reading and math. I’ve noticed that those that have the most academic difficulty are the ones that are the most difficult to teach. The children to recited poetry to demonstrate what they have learned.
Life Skills is an important part of the program because the children need to know they are loved, cared about and can learn. Building character is a large part of the program. The children encouraged the audience to participate in their interactive rap song.
The District Parliamentary Representative gave each child a toy at the end of the program. The little girls were given perfume and the boys were given toy trucks.
The program was concluded well into the evening with African Drumming and Song by local artison and Art and Craft Facilitator Marylene. Among the songs she played was a piece written and inspired by the program slogan "Save a Mind, Save a Child"
One last thing. I find it fascinating how music livens and can even define the people of Saint Lucia. This is the form of expression that most allows them to demonstrate who they are as a people. It's one of the things I love most about the island.
It was stressful planning the program, but the stress only lasted three days, whereas if it were planned my way it would have taken two months to plan and likely been equally as stressful. I’m not sure the trade-off would have been worth any extra quality that would have been achieved. The children had a good time. The best part was that they learned they “Can do it”….and so did I.
Many of the children cannot read and some cannot do simple math. Tutoring is embedded into the program that includes life skills, IT, the arts, and a new sports program to learn tennis.
Shopping was a major activity during my three week vacation at home. I purchased things for every aspect of the program:
• Books to teach children to read and books to help those that can appreciate the value of a book club, giving them entertainment during the summer.
• Software to teach children to type, tutor them in math and help them be creative
• Mountains of stickers, glue, glitter, buttons and sparkley stuff to spark they creative selves.
• Three new tennis rackets will give them more court time.
• Games, games and more games to help them learn to read, do math and think creatively
• Movies and films to show to parents and children which will serve as entertainment during the summer, as well as a catalyst to talk about family values.
• A camera and Flip Video which will be used to document the two year pilot program and also used in a variety of learning activities, such as blogging and creating music video entertainment.
To those that helped me make this possible, thank you for all you did. I assure you that you have touched the lives of several children, if not all of them, in ways that will likely not be revealed to you, but known to them. It’s just the way life works and creates the real meaning of giving. The next blog entry are those you helped.A CHRISTMAS EVENT
I usually like to plan these things well in advance. If I led the activity, I would put a team together and hold meetings. The meetings would be at least weekly and as time moved quickly to the day of the event. We would discuss infinite details and construct a risk management plan, usually in our heads, but sometimes on paper and always discussed. Yes, events that I worked on in the past were planned to the smallest detail. At least they were until I moved to Saint Lucia.
Three days before the children were to put on their costumes, say their lines and sing their songs, the planning began. I was in the room when the children were told what they would be doing. There reaction was, “We can’t do that!” Brenda skillfully told them, “Oh yes you can – and you will”. I was told two days before the event that they needed a PowerPoint show with all the pictures that had been taken of the children. After that they wanted a “skit” about what they were learning in IT. Although not vocalized, my reaction was much like the children’s reaction.
It’s amazing how well this activity turned out. Sure there were a few flaws here and there. The program began an hour late and the costumes were borrowed dresses from their grandmothers. What’s more amazing is that the boys willingly wore the dresses. Imagination is used in the face of lacking resources. The children’s play was an entertaining segment of the birth of the Christ Child.
They are being given voice lessons in Creative Arts and one child has an interesting voice and is assigned the solo in the piece.
The children are being taught a new sport: tennis. Although they don’t have enough rackets, no net and a graveled field is used as the court, the children are learning how to play the game. They performed a skit about the game.
Academic support is taught be a teacher with over 30 years of experience. She is kind, gentle and firm with the children. It is difficult for me to watch so many children struggle with reading and math. I’ve noticed that those that have the most academic difficulty are the ones that are the most difficult to teach. The children to recited poetry to demonstrate what they have learned.
Life Skills is an important part of the program because the children need to know they are loved, cared about and can learn. Building character is a large part of the program. The children encouraged the audience to participate in their interactive rap song.
The District Parliamentary Representative gave each child a toy at the end of the program. The little girls were given perfume and the boys were given toy trucks.
The program was concluded well into the evening with African Drumming and Song by local artison and Art and Craft Facilitator Marylene. Among the songs she played was a piece written and inspired by the program slogan "Save a Mind, Save a Child"
One last thing. I find it fascinating how music livens and can even define the people of Saint Lucia. This is the form of expression that most allows them to demonstrate who they are as a people. It's one of the things I love most about the island.
It was stressful planning the program, but the stress only lasted three days, whereas if it were planned my way it would have taken two months to plan and likely been equally as stressful. I’m not sure the trade-off would have been worth any extra quality that would have been achieved. The children had a good time. The best part was that they learned they “Can do it”….and so did I.
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