We are well on our way into Spring semester. Now is the time to give us an update about your service placement.
1. Where are you placed? Please describe your organization.
2. What are you doing there?
3. Reflect upon your experience there so far.
4. How can you take this experience to the next level?
5. Tell us an interesting story.
6. Other feedback.
23 comments:
1. Where are you placed? Please describe your organization.
I am placed at Albany Medical Center. Albany Med. is a hospital and an academic health science center where it serves a great variety of people and students
2. What are you doing there?
I am a friendly visitor and i go around to patients who are depresses, have no family visiting, or just have been in the hospital for a long time to see what i can get for them to make their stay more comfortable. I am also there for the patients to just talk to and keep them company. I also serve in the physical therapy department where i assist in physical therapy treatments for patients and assist the therapists
3. Reflect upon your experience there so far.
My experience has been wonderful. i love going to my site each week and it has helped me in deciding on a career choice and has been a wonderful networking tool.
4. How can you take this experience to the next level?
I can take it to the next level by creating more structured programming for patients.
5. Tell us an interesting story.
I spoke to one woman for over an hour about her life and all that she has accomplished and learned about all the great work she has done and about her family.
I am placed at Unity House, specifically in the DV shelter. It is a house that can hold 21 women and children who are leaving their abuser and need transitional housing.Right now I am getting orientation to DV shelter, as this is my first semester there. They are familiarizing me with the services they offer as well as their clients.I also assist the case workers in addressing issues, the house manager in the weekly shopping for the house, and I am in the process of cleaning/reorganizing the play room. So far I have enjoyed this experience. Reading the case files of the client really help me understanding what they are going through and the kind of services they need. Having more interaction with the clients would be nice along with coming up with an idea for a better utilization of the toy room. The first day I volunteered I had to sit in on the case managers exiting a client and it broke my heart because it seemed as though this client would go back to all she was strong enough to leave behind...it was tough:(
1.
I am placed at North Albany Academy which is a school in North Albany (oh my gosh) that aims to get kids off the streets and give them an opportunity at a successful life.
2.
I work with Mrs. Kerry Welcome, an awesome science teacher (and the only science teacher) to try and help the students with their science work. I also work with the after school program Birkshire Farms which allows kids to stay at school to do homework as well as other recreational activities. I am also in the process of implementing an environmental club there.
3.
Those kids are amazing. There are times where I am stressed or i feel like I dont want to go to my site but then the students there, as well as the teachers are so funny and enthusiastic, that forget about me and realize them and their needs and dreams.
4.
I think taking it to the next step would be forming something or taking something up a step to involve parents. Success for students do not just involve the students but their parents as well.
5.
At Birkshire Farms, I am with the older kids and I am one of 5 people that work with those kids. There is the actual coordinator, 3 volunteer/employees, and then me, a Bonner. Getting to know them has been just as great as getting to know the kids. So I was sad to hear that 2 of the volunteers would be leaving. Ashley's college has her taking extra classes or else she can't graduate and another, Dan, who grew up in Brooklyn and The Bronx I might add, got a job as a banker. But the students were even sadder to see them leave. So we were talking about getting new workers and the kids agreed that whoever starts to work there should be as cool as me.
6.
BEST SITE-BASED TEAM EVER!!!!!
I am placed at the Boys & Girls Club of Albany. The mission of the Boys & Girls Club is to provide a safe environment for children to play and learn together while nourishing and preparing them to be good, responsible citizens. At the Albany Boys & Girl Club, I assist in the Homework Help Club, helping elementary school children with their schoolwork. I also assist the Pathfinders, and make sure the animals are being well taken care of. My experience there has been mixed. Although I've only just started serving in January, I feel comfortable there. Sometimes I am so fed up with the children who may not always listen, but I think that's a good way for me to realize that I need to be more forceful. And then there are the days where all the kids run up and start playing games with me and high-fiving me and that's when I really feel at ease, and feel a sense of belonging. I can take it to the next level by learning when to be forceful when necessary with kids, and developing helpful mnemonics or other devices to better assist with their homework and learning. The first couple of times I served at the Boys & Girls Club I was nervous. I'm sure the kids could tell I was feeling a little out of place, so one of the little girls took my hand and asked me if I wanted a tour. I was happy that the kids were starting to taking an interest in me. Obviously now they all adore and idolize me, and I am slowly letting my creep out... in a good way.
1. Where are you placed? Please describe your organization.
I am placed at North Albany Academy. It is a K-8 school.
2. What are you doing there?
At the school I help out in a kindergarten class during the day. The teachers let me help with lessons and I do a lot of one on one work with children who need extra help. On Fridays I run a nutrition club during lunch with the 4th graders. They are really enthusiastic and awesome. After school I help with the Berkshire Pre-K program. We do crafts and fun projects. On Friday afternoons I am a Daisy Girlscout leader. The girls are kindergarten and 1st graders so many of the girls in my kindergarten class are also in my troop.
3. Reflect upon your experience there so far.
I love being at North Albany. The kids are absolutely amazing and so are the teachers. Everyone goes out of their way to make me feel comfortable. Being at this site helped me to decide that I would like to be a teacher.
4. How can you take this experience to the next level?
I can take this to the next level by now starting to see what the kids need. Since I know a lot of them more personally now, I can find out more about what they want to change at their school.
5. Tell us an interesting story.
Hmmm an interesting story. Well every week at girl scouts, the girls ask me if I am Lady Gaga, because I am white. It still makes me laugh every time.
6. Other feedback.
Agree with Gabe. Best site-based team ever!
1. I am not currently placed anywhere. I recently stopped working at Green Tech.
2. Now looking for an environmentally-related site placement.
3.I was having trouble managing my time at Green Tech, communicating with my site supervisor, and dealing appropriately with the students there.
4.I will learn from my mistakes and improve myself so I can have a better experience at my next site.
5.I am dying my hair auburn red over the break and I started working out again.
6. Keep on keepin on.
1. Where are you placed? Please describe your organization.
I am placed at SIENA COLLEGE, as the Senior Intern for the Siena College Bonner Service Leaders.
2. What are you doing there?
I am working on helping Gretchen get ready for recruitment for new Bonners this spring! Also, I am working on planning out the trainings that the rest of the Bonners will participate in to help them become valuable assets to their community partner.
3. Reflect upon your experience there so far.
So far I have loved my experience as the senior intern. It has been an amazing learning experience getting to work so closely with Gretchen and learn the inner workings of our program. Also, it has been so much fun getting to work with all of the other Bonners! :)
4. How can you take this experience to the next level?
By helping out with the conference this semester, and also by becoming more involved in actively recruiting for the new class of Bonners.
5. Tell us an interesting story.
One interesting story is how I never used to be able to speak infront of a group until Gretchen one day gave me the floor (during orientaiton this summer). Before then, if you told me that I would be leading group discussions / retreats I would have never believed you!
6. Other feedback.
I love all of the Bonners!
1. I am placed at the Boys and Girl Club in Albany. This is an after school program for children where they do their homework and are a part of clubs. We also have a teen program for middle school and high school students.
2. I work with the teen programs, I am the Club Keystone Coordinator where I organize community service trips with the middle schools students. We have recently done a clothing drive for Haiti. I also help Tai with Club R.E.A.C.H planning and doing activities related to college development.
3. So far, I have been at my site since October and a lot has changed for the better. At first, my job was very unclear; as you all know we have had several issues communicating with our supervisor but everything is under control now so I am very happy.
4. To take this experience to the next level I think that as part of the teen program I need to just do what I feel is right even if it is hard to communicate with my supervisor. I will inform her of what I will be facilitating but I am not going to way around for her to approve it because that is what has happened in the past and nothing got accomplished.
5. An interesting story is probably my dad to day experience with the kids. It is a voluntary teen program where the students are forced to come from their parents so it makes it very tough to gain cooperation and respect. I have had several problems with a few of the teenage girls and middle school boys whether its an attitude or just plain disrespect. Overall, it has gotten a lot better because I finally spoke with my supervisor about the issue. Other than that I really enjoying working closely with the middle school and high school students.
I am placed at the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants in Albany. It's a non-profit federally funded organization that helps new coming refugees assimilate to the culutre albany area. our mission is to help the refugees become self-sufficient within a couple of years. I am the health service intern and i have been doing a lot with organizing doctor appointments with the hospital that we have an alliance with for the newly arrived refugees. However, recently I have undertaken a much bigger project. Frequently patients miss their health appointments either because they are intimidated by the language/cultural barriers, they don't have transportation, or they don't realize the importance of going to their doctor. I agreed to address the problem and brainstormed an idea that started out as a volunteer program that i was to start in order for someone to accompany the refugees to their doctor appointment and advocate for interpreters and serve as a liason between health professionals and the refugee. However, a couple week ago i met with a woman from sage college who is a transcultural nurse. she and i got talking and she told me her passion is advocating for proper health care for immigrants and refugees. She and I will be working closely together during the next few months by getting to the root of the problem by address health professionals about the importance of cultural competency and what their responsibilities are when treating patients of different cultures and religions. Although this project is in its very early stages, i see a lot of potential and can't wait to get started.
Overall, my experience at the USCRI has been wonderful. I frequently get that feeling of "wow, i am right where i'm suppose to be!" and feel like the uscri will offer challenges that can help me grow as a bonner and a person.
I feel i can really take this to the next level. I know that advocating for refugees is only the first step and there is a lot more that needs to take place before we can form a solid relationship between st peter's and the refugees at the uscri. I know i ultimately want to have a career in health care and medicine and i feel that i can use what i am learning about transcultural competency to promote awareness.
so much good has been happening!
a somewhat unrelated story happened last week when the uscri had a valentines day party last week. Michelle and I went, but I also brought an FOB a girl from my hall named meghan to the festivities. we set up food and crafts and about 15 children showed up which was an extremely good turn out. it was nice to see meghan get a chance to see what we do at the uscri and what bonner was all about. I feel like she found out more about me and what i do when i disappear for ten hours a week to broadway in albany.
1. Where are you placed? Please describe your organization.
I am currently serving as the ESOL Intern for the USCRI. We aim to serve as the welcoming committee to refugees and immigrants who had fled their home lands in search of a more accepting society.
2. What are you doing there?
I help refugees and immigrants enroll in classes that I help coordinate in the Albany region. I addditionally help case workers find tutors for clients who may need extra help learning English. My main goal over the course of my time here at the USCRI is to develop a curriculum for our ESOL Teachers.
3. Reflect upon your experience there so far.
Last semester, I must admit that it stressed me out more often that I felt I was making a difference. This semster however, I have started to share my opinions and ideas more freely, not allowing others to put down my ideas despite the fact that they haven't been working with this aspect of the non-profit. I think that since I have observed my surroundings and have become more comfortable with the people here that I have become more confident in the services that I supply.
4. How can you take this experience to the next level?
Continue to share my opinion and view-point.
5. Tell us an interesting story.
I'm actually extremely excited because of a recent event. One of the main problems that I had been having, was that refugees and immigrants who needed one-on-one tutoring were falling between the cracks because of a lack of case-worker/esol intern relations. At the beginning of the semester, I asked my supervisor if I would be able to implement an idea I had; a referal sheet for case-workers to fill out for clients they thought needed extra practice. She approved it, and just last week, I checked my ESOL box, and there were four referal sheets, all by different case-workers! I was so excited and actually felt like I had really laid the foundation to help those who needed tutors.
6. Other feedback.
All of the new-intern problems I had at the beginning of the semester have been replaced with friendships. I love the new interns : )
I am placed in the Academic Community Engagement Office and my position is the Academic Service Learning Intern. I am working alongside Lauren Johnson, who is the Academic Service Learning Coordinator, to recruit more faculty to participate in the Service Learning Program as well as train them. Thus far we have been working on organizing the Problem-Based Service Learning Training, which will take place in March. I’ve also been trying to plan the Shadow Program, which would involve us Bonners and a Foundation class, but I have yet to hear back from the professor. Other day to day responsibilities that I have taken on are creating the Service Learning Newsletter, writing spotlights for the New York Campus Compact and creating bulletin boards. In order to take my position to the next level I want to take part in training professors and matching them up with community partners. I also want to begin training the students who are involved in these classes so they can get the full experience that they signed on for. So far it has been very interesting seeing what professors and faculty are involved in the Service Learning program and to learn about the different classes that are taught with service components.
1. Where are you placed? Please describe your organization.
I currently have two sites or at least thats the possibility. I already working at street ministry
and i will possibly start working at the sunshine program once a week.
2. What are you doing there?
At street ministry i will be helping with the Dental services mobile whenever needed and I will also be fixing the baby room.
At the sunshine program i will be working in a classroom with the children.
3. Reflect upon your experience there so far.
My experience there so far has been great i was able to get started fixing the baby room and it was a great experience.
4. How can you take this experience to the next level?
I will take this experience to the next level by making the best use of the space provided. i will try very hard to organize the many objects and things found in the baby room. i will also do my best to assist the people in need of translation in the Dental mobile, and i will work very hard to make the classroom experience one of value and many lessons.
1. Where are you placed? Please describe your organization.
I am placed at Unity Sunshine where I work with toddlers who live in poverty.
2. What are you doing there?
I read to the kids and play and help them with snack and lunch.
3. Reflect upon your experience there so far.
So far my experiences are really good and the kids really like me and I love working with them.
4. How can you take this experience to the next level?
I just tried to do a hat mitten and scarf dive for the daycare but that didn't work well and so now I am going to brainstorm some new ideas.
5. Tell us an interesting story-
One of the little girls finally got potty trained and that was really really exciting.
1. I am placed in the Bonner/VISTA office as the Community Partner Liaison.
2. I am currently getting to know each of our community partners and making visits to each site. I am working on mainstreaming the traffic going in and out of our organizations by helping to understand their needs from both the VISTA side and the Bonner side. I am also working on developing resources for our Site Supervisors on the wiki as well as updating the pages for each organization on the wiki.
3. So far, my experience has been rather developmental. Overall, I have really learned a lot and hope to continue to do so.
4. As far as taking my position to the next level, I don't think that can happen yet, the one I am in is still developing.
6. B-Loooove. <3
1. Where are you placed? Please describe your organization.
I am placed at the Boys & Girls Club - Delaware Unit. It is a preschool, afterschool program for teens and elementary school students, and the home of the Team Albany basketball team.
2. What are you doing there?
At the BGCA I am the coordinator of the SMART Girls and Club Reach and the team site leader.
3. Reflect upon your experience there so far.
This is my second year there and I feel that I have grown a lot from being just a regular volunteer over a year ago to now creating my own lesson plans and running my own program.
4. How can you take this experience to the next level?
I can take this experience to the next level I think if I was there more than just twice a week so next semester I plan to be there 3 times a week.
5. Tell us an interesting story.
I was able to get the SMART Girls step team perform at Fall Fusion. They were very excited being that it was there first performance/first show ever! They wlll be back again for Spring Expose.
6. Other feedback.
N/A
1. Where are you placed? Please describe your organization.
North Albany Academy. A pre-K-8th grade school that provides students with a plethora of choices for after school programs.
2. What are you doing there?
I am the Site Team Leader and the Girl Scout Intern. I help to organize 4 Girl Scout troops and plan large scale events. Events include Girl Scout Cookie sales and camping trips.
3. Reflect upon your experience there so far.
I absolutely love my site. I have been there for over a year and a half now and it's great that when I walk into the school I know so many of the students and teachers. I feel that I have really become part of the community.
4. How can you take this experience to the next level?
To take this experience to the next level I would like to make the parents more involved in what their children are doing outside of school. I believe that it is really important for them to know what their child is interested in.
5. Tell us an interesting story.
On Sunday Emily and I were delivering Girl Scout cookies when we got to one girls house she opened the door and started jumping around and giggling. We walked back to the car to get the rest of her cookies and we heard her yell, "MOM THE COOKIES THE COOKIES!" It was great to see how excited she was about the cookies that she sold.
1. Where are you placed? Please describe your organization.
I am placed at North Albany Academy. It is an elementary school and I work with the YMCA volunteers there.
2. What are you doing there?
I run the science club for 3-5th graders there. We've played with baloons and magnets. When I'm not doing the club I help the students with homework and make sure they have fun at the afterschool program
3. Reflect upon your experience there so far.
I like it a lot there. The kids are very funny. The kids focus isn't always there for school work and the club, but the kids are always willing to play games and have fun.
4. How can you take this experience to the next level?
I would like to get the kids interested more in science but that is going to be very tough because of the amount of kids and the level of focus these kids have.
5. Tell us an interesting story.
One day i spent 2 hours carrying three kids at a time around the cafeteria while they were yelling "We're going to India." I'm not entirely sure why India but it was interesting.
6. Other feedback.
It is difficult to get all the kids to do the science projects and get everyting organized in that cafeteria while a million things are going on there.
Currently I am placed at the Boys and Girls Club of Albany. Here children are provided with afterschool care, where they are feed and provided a safe environment to recieve homework guidance. In addition, the Boys and Girls Club is a pre-K for a mixed group of children; some have special needs regarding behavior and/or maturing.
I assist with the preschoolers. I help the teachers excute their lessons, while keeping the attention of the students. I keep the children engaged in the give activity.
To take this to the next level, I am taking on bigger projects, and facilitating the "Daily Lesson."
One little girl of five years of age could not count to 20, or remember the ABC's. The parent was worried since, she will soon be entering Kindergarden, where knowing these things are expected. Seeing the other teachers busy with other students and just keeping the flow of the class "non chaotic," I pulled the little girl to the side and took the time to teach her those fundamental tools that will be the building blocks for everything she does in school. Soon she had learned her ABC's and how to count 1-20! She was so thrilled!! For me, it was an extremelly rewarding experience to help her learn something that she will use for the rest of her life.
1. Where are you placed? Please describe your organization.
I am placed at North Albany Academy which is a elementary and middle school that works at organizing projects and clubs to get kids off the street and bring the community together.
2. What are you doing there?
I help out at the Birkshire After School program with preschoolers and I work with the librarian on thursdays and I have just started a sign language club.
3. Reflect upon your experience there so far.
I absolutely love North Albany. The kids there are amazing and are always up for anything new and exciting. My club is proving to be a bit of a challenge but we will see what happens. (keep your fingers crossed!)
4. How can you take this experience to the next level?
I can do this by being more patient and reflective. I can possibly organize more activities for the preschoolers and my sign language club.
5. Tell us an interesting story.
The first day of history club proved to be a VERY interesting day for me and lindsey. When we arrived the teacher greeted us and asked where we were from. When i mentioned Siena he looked at me and said "Well you dont have many of us up there now do you." At first i didnt understand what he meant, (i was thinking maybe teachers but we have tons of those) then it clicked. He was an African American teacher and he meant Siena did not have very many black students. I had no idea how to respond and either did Lindsey so we sorta just laughed it off. He continued to make strange remarks that we didnt quite no how to handle. What a day!
6. Other feedback.
This basically covers it i think. The students in my sign language club are not really into learning it because they never choose to be in the club they were forced into it. They also are special needs kids with behavioral problems. We are going to keep at it though for a few more weeks and see if things change for the better!
1. I am placed at the Unity House Sunshine program and I work with preschoolers to meet their basic needs and to give them a better start, for lack of a better phrase.
2. At USP 1 I work with a two other teachers to help teach a group of four year olds. I teach them basic things like counting and the ABC's. We also help them learn manners and other social things that they may not get home.
3. My experience so far has been great. I really like working with the kids. However, I dont feel like I am being extremely useful there.
4. This semester I am doing a craft drive to help asssist the school as a whole. Thats how I am taking it to the next level.
5. I have one student who has severe speech disabilities and I have seen her progress greatly throughout the year. When I got back after winter break she came up to me and said her name, which is a huge deal for her. It has been great to see her progress.
1. I am placed at Street Ministry, Unity house. Unity House is an organization that provides services to people in need in Albany. They provide serivces such as eviction prevention up to a food pantry that includes baby essential such as diapers and formula.
2. I am involved in many different projects at street ministry. Right now my main project is clearing out the baby room there. The baby room is a room full or donations of baby essentials clothes, bibs, shoes, socks, etc. However, it is a disasters so I choose to organize it therefore we know what we have and what we need.
3. So far at street ministry I have been able to be very hands on and work well with the community and the staff. I have slowly learned all the programs unity house provides and I am still learning the ins and outs of them.
4. When I have a solid understanding of all the programs then I will be able to firmly direct a person to the program they need or help a person get the resources they need.
5. While I was coordinating the appointments for American mobile dental, an elderly lady called needing dentures. She asked if she was covered with her insurance and I called and found out she wasn’t. She was upset and needed to see a dentist, I found out where her insurance had offices where she was covered and we found a dentist near her. It felt good to find a solution to this women problem even if it was outside of Unity House, this wasn’t my job but I felt good.
My name is Lewin Romeo Malena and I was born in the Dominican Republic and I moved to New York when I was very young. I was able to go to school in the United States and know I am in Siena College and I am a sophomore majoring in Accounting. I would like to say that I am honored to be a part of the Bonner program and I really think that as a Siena student it is my responsibility to give back to the community and be very helpful to the people around me. Although I cannot answer the questions asked in this blog because I have not yet been placed I can say that I am looking forward to working with the Bonner program. I talked to Alison and she talked about Unity House and there need of someone that can talk about financial literacy. I am very goal oriented and I really want to learn from everyone at Bonner.
1. Where are you placed? Please describe your organization.
I am placed at the albany boys and girls club. it is a place for children pre-k thru highschool to come to for a safe learning experience.
2. What are you doing there?
Currently, i work in the 'homework club' assisting students of all ages with a variety of subjects. After they finish homework i make sure they eat and enjoy the rest of their time there. I help to make sure each child behaves their best and that the club runs smoothly. also i am going to start the "every day is a holiday" theme, where each day will have a theme to keep the children engaged. i also look forward to continue the family plus program.
i really love working at the boys and girls club, i wish i could come up with some extra clubs for them to engage in but with time im sure i will come up with something.this experience has been rewarding and i look forward to it every week.
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