And then they wanted more!

On National Youth Service Day, I brought a group of 6th grade girls to work on a city beautification project; we were painting buildings at the Proctor Baseball Field. I was not sure if they would enjoy it, because we were just painting the inside of the washrooms. But sure enough, right when we were done, they were asking if they could come and do it again on another Friday, which we are now planning on doing!

~ Nicole, 2005-06

Dispelling Stereotypes

I guess that one of the biggest highlights for me this spring has been tutoring young men at my stie who are preparing to take the GED. I was a bit wary going into this setting because of the many stereotypes that come with at-risk youth. My fears were quickly dispelled, though. Of all of the youth that I have worked with through direct service this year, they were the most well-behaved, polite, and focused by far. I think that their backgrounds and difficult experiences have shown them that education can help lift them out of their circumstances, and it is something that they don’t take for granted.

~ Beth, 2005-06

"Ha! Your Shirt says 'corpse'"

I'm working at a computer during lunch and a student points to my AmeriCorps sweatshirt and says "Ha! Your shirt says "corpse"". I correct him with the definition of "corps" and tell him that AmeriCorps is an opportunity to work with your community and help with their needs. After going into a bit more detail he gives me a serious look and says, "Good job, Matt ." With his sarcasm reflecting how ideal our goals are, I took a step back. We laughed together and I found myself recognizing my community more: One individual at a time, making change for the whole, even if all it takes is a good sense of humor and a smile.

~ Matt, 2005-06

Turkey Humor

The kinderclub took a field trip to the DECC to deliver decorations for the Community Thanksgiving dinner. They were just so excited to be on a field trip. On our way downtown, every time we passed a semi-large house, one of the kids would yell "Oh, I think that's Glensheen!" They were also acting like turkeys and saying "Gobble, Gobble" when one child exclaimed "I think I know what turkeys say in Spanish - Gooblah, Gooblah!"

~ Member, Homecroft School's Out, 2005-06

I love you too.

In the middle of a conflict I told an older girl that "I loved her, too", having misunderstood something she said. It ended the conflict and resulted in a look of utter surprise on her face.

~ Member, Boys and Girls Club, 2005-06

First Time Walking In

The first time walking into the Boys and Girls Club a little boy looked at me w/his skateboard up like a gun and asked who I was and pretended to shoot me. I thought "What am I getting myself into?" The little boy turned out to be one of the nicest, most friendly kids at the Center. I can't explain how much my experience at the Boys and Girls Club has had on me. I have found out sooooo much about myself and I feel I have grown so much as a person - I can't explain.

~ Member, Boys and Girls Club, 2005-06

5th Grade Light Bulbs

We had a classic Thursday afternoon in fifth grade science. We were learning about landforms and erosion. Mrs. F. and I decided to take the students outside and teach the lesson on the picnic tables. It was sunny and 65 F, a beautiful autumn day. We were demonstrating the effects of slope on erosional forces in our stream tables and students were timing their canyon formations for gradual versus steep slopes. All was pretty standard until we extremely changed our slope to exaggerate the erosional impacts. They were shocked at how quickly the canyons formed and were eager to share their results with Mrs. F., myself and each other. Ah, scientific investigation as it should be, hands on, interactive, and collaborative. Then, we took some time to process what happened and the lightbulbs were coming on all over the place and the students were making connections to so many ideas that they have experienced and learned. There was a lot of learning taking place that afternoon for all of us.

~ Member, North Shore Elementary School, 2005-06

$500 for Mesabi Humane Society

I lead the Tiger Woods/Target Foundation Start Something Program. This program was held on Thursdays from 4-5 so that the SAC program participants could join as well as the home school students that came to the Y on Thursdays. I had up to twelve participants. The goal of our group, which we called the YMCA Youth Group, was to plan a National Youth Service Day service project. The kids who participated in the group voted and decided to host a talent show at the Mesabi Family YMCA to raise money for the Mesabi Humane Society. The talent show was a success with 40 participants, over 200 guests, and almost $500 given to the Mesabi Humane Society. The kids did such a good job that three YMCA Youth Group participants recieved an educational scholarship from the Tiger Woods/Target Foundation. Abbey and Austin Burritt each received $500 and Joey Stimac received $800. The money is to be used to pay for tuition and equipment for academic, sports, or music lessons.

~ Member at Mesabi YMCA, 2005-06

A Turn Around

I had a student at my site that didn't like to read because it was hard for him to understand the books he was interested in. He was seeing a reading tutor and also had a 5-points tutor who helped him out.

When I started asking kids to help me with my service learning project of recording books on tape for children in the hospital he was the first to volunteer and he recorded two books. I was very proud if him and he was very proud of himself.

~ Member, Girl Scouts, 2005-06

Relationships and Relating

I’ll take with me the relationships with my kids. Granted none of them will continue beyond my time here, but remembering how they trusted me, were so excited to see me, and knowing that I might have given the kids something they otherwise would no have experienced is pretty cool. I remember who those people were when I was growing up, and if I have given some of that back to them, it makes me feel good about what I have done.

~ Brad, 2005-06

Student Mentoring

This year as an AmeriCorps member, I helped lead a student mentoring group. Our group consists of 10 elementary school students matched up with 10 high school students. I’m continually impressed with how much fun these students have with any activity I plan. One afternoon, we played pictionary as a time-filler. I’ve never seen a group of people have more fun than this group did. Every student was into the game, shouting out answers, laughing, and clapping. I really enjoy spending time with these energetic students. I try to plan a variety of fun activities for them, but it helps to know that they would have a great time if we just played pictionary every week!

~ Jodie, 2005-06

Minnesota Reading Corps at Work

Claudia teaches Basic Skills to 66 students each week, with 8 or 9 students coming into her classroom every half hour for class. In the past, Title I funding was used to hire educational assistants to work with Claudia and her high-need students. With a drop in the free and reduced lunch count at her school last year, the school lost Title I funding and the educational assistants. Claudia knew that an AmeriCorps Reading Corps member could help to fill this huge gap for her students if she could work intensively with that individual to teach them how to work in the classroom and be available to them to guide and provide feedback.

Sarah, a college graduate with a teaching degree, decided to dedicate a year of her life to national service through AmeriCorps. With on-site training from Claudia, Sarah quickly was able to apply her knowledge and training as a Reading Corps member directly into the classroom. Sarah works in the classroom, tutoring two students every half hour using the Reading Corps methods and assessment tools. “It’s like the students are getting a private tutor every single day,” reports Claudia. When asked if Reading Corps students are making noticeable progress three months into the school year, Claudia says, “Absolutely!” And Sarah knows that her efforts are benefiting the community she grew up in. As a matter of fact, Claudia and Sarah discovered that their family homes are on the same block and Claudia knows Sarah’s parents.

Claudia, who will retire from teaching after this school year, has much to offer Sarah, and knows that her investment of time and training is paying off for her students. “I’ve worked long enough to know what works with students” offers Claudia “and Minnesota Reading Corps works optimally when the members have a staff person that they can work closely with.”

~ Sarah, 2006-07