Hey guys!! Jessica here...
Loved hearing about all of the group's success over the year :) It's been fun!
I think that this whole experience has been very enriching for us as a whole and I think that we will take a lot away from it, I know I will. I have learned a lot of things, from leadership skills in class to what its like working at a daycare. I have really loved living in these houses. They're very nice (especially with free laundry and dishwasher lol). I think that the best part has been how great of a little community it has been. I feel, at least I hope, that they have enjoyed our help and support. I think that we have really helped them and the kids enjoyed us being there.
If we had not had the chance to live here, we would probably be in Sunderland... so needless to say this is way better. I feel like we have gotten a chance to "grow up" a little living in apartments rather than dorms. I think that this experience has been great and I personally wish we would have chosen like the humane society or something fun with animals (I would have liked that). But I really enjoyed working with the kids at lighthouse. For future people, I would say just pick somewhere that you will enjoy working with and have fun doing. Just enjoy the experience!
Thanks,
Jessica
Friday, May 6, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The Peak of the Summit
Hey guys!! One and a half weeks to go!!!! Maybe less for some of you, in which case makes me extremely jealous. I cannot believe how fast this year went. Doesn't it feel like just yesterday that we were doing Tai Chi and Yoga? It seems like we have done so much stuff this year! I'm so glad I got to have this experience in Summit. It was a lot of hard work sometimes, but everything was so worth it. Getting to live in the most amazing apartment, that I am going to miss a lot, getting to see the kids at Lighthouse, doing the fun Summit socials, and having fun with everyone in class. Also, making fun of Andrew's obsession with Express clothing...oh wait. I can do that whenever!! Yes! I am really going to miss it. Being in Summit made me do things that I probably wouldn't have done if I had lived anywhere else, such as volunteer work, but it has made me so much more of a better person.
After living in Summit it will be a hard transition to no more washer, dryer, and dishwasher! But getting to know all of the people involved in the whole thing will help me find more things in common with people. I've loved blogging so much I might even start my own! And it's helped introduce me to new things, such as Yoga, which I'm going to take up this summer. It has also helped me to find out more about who I am. Living with the girls has shown me a lot about what I want and how I want to live. They were amazing to live with and I'm so glad I got to share this with them. I'm going to miss Tiff and Jess next year. Molly and I are sticking with it, however. I have learned more about making an impact in the community through Summit. Working at Lighthouse and with children was really scary to me, but now that I've been there to help, I have more confidence being around kids which will really help me if I want to have some of my own someday.
I really loved everything that Summit taught me too. The goals are really going to help me with my future. I am already heading towards them more than I was when we made them and it's only been 3 weeks! Since I really have no clue what to do with my life, setting those goals really helped me organize what I wanted and put my mind towards something other than just finishing school. I think that is what I'm going to take the most out of in Summit.
Throughout the community I think we made a really nice impact with Summit. I could tell that we helped them out immensely just by the way they looked when we got there. Whether it was sweeping, cleaning resource rooms, or just playing with kids, they breathed a sigh of relief when we showed up. I don't know if we made an impact on the entire community that way, but we sure helped make people's days a little bit easier for them, and to me, that is just as satisfying.
If I had not lived in Summit, we would probably be living in Sunderland. I feel like living in another dorm would make me feel like a Freshman again. I wouldn't have been involved at all on Campus and I know for a fact that I wouldn't have done any volunteer work. Living in Summit gave me another way to get involved at school without it being swimming related and I think that really helped me.
Looking back over the past year I don't really have much that I would change. Every experience seemed like a positive one for me. I wish Lighthouse would have been a bit easier to work with sometimes, but other than that everything went really smoothly.
What other Summit groups have to remember is that sometimes it can seem like a lot of work, and since the class is once a month you usually forget to do it until the Thursday before, when you go, we have class on Friday?!!! After you do the assignments however they are really eye opening and they really help you out with your life. It's Leadership so it is going to help you for the rest of your life. It's not that math problem you learned last year that you will never use again. So go into the projects willingly and you'll find out just how rewarding they can be. Good luck to you all, future Summiteers!
I have really enjoyed being a part of this. Hopefully it's not totally over yet. Thank you so much Andrew and to all of my neighbors. I love you!
Deanna Sorenson
After living in Summit it will be a hard transition to no more washer, dryer, and dishwasher! But getting to know all of the people involved in the whole thing will help me find more things in common with people. I've loved blogging so much I might even start my own! And it's helped introduce me to new things, such as Yoga, which I'm going to take up this summer. It has also helped me to find out more about who I am. Living with the girls has shown me a lot about what I want and how I want to live. They were amazing to live with and I'm so glad I got to share this with them. I'm going to miss Tiff and Jess next year. Molly and I are sticking with it, however. I have learned more about making an impact in the community through Summit. Working at Lighthouse and with children was really scary to me, but now that I've been there to help, I have more confidence being around kids which will really help me if I want to have some of my own someday.
I really loved everything that Summit taught me too. The goals are really going to help me with my future. I am already heading towards them more than I was when we made them and it's only been 3 weeks! Since I really have no clue what to do with my life, setting those goals really helped me organize what I wanted and put my mind towards something other than just finishing school. I think that is what I'm going to take the most out of in Summit.
Throughout the community I think we made a really nice impact with Summit. I could tell that we helped them out immensely just by the way they looked when we got there. Whether it was sweeping, cleaning resource rooms, or just playing with kids, they breathed a sigh of relief when we showed up. I don't know if we made an impact on the entire community that way, but we sure helped make people's days a little bit easier for them, and to me, that is just as satisfying.
If I had not lived in Summit, we would probably be living in Sunderland. I feel like living in another dorm would make me feel like a Freshman again. I wouldn't have been involved at all on Campus and I know for a fact that I wouldn't have done any volunteer work. Living in Summit gave me another way to get involved at school without it being swimming related and I think that really helped me.
Looking back over the past year I don't really have much that I would change. Every experience seemed like a positive one for me. I wish Lighthouse would have been a bit easier to work with sometimes, but other than that everything went really smoothly.
What other Summit groups have to remember is that sometimes it can seem like a lot of work, and since the class is once a month you usually forget to do it until the Thursday before, when you go, we have class on Friday?!!! After you do the assignments however they are really eye opening and they really help you out with your life. It's Leadership so it is going to help you for the rest of your life. It's not that math problem you learned last year that you will never use again. So go into the projects willingly and you'll find out just how rewarding they can be. Good luck to you all, future Summiteers!
I have really enjoyed being a part of this. Hopefully it's not totally over yet. Thank you so much Andrew and to all of my neighbors. I love you!
Deanna Sorenson
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
My Summit Conclusion
Hey everyone! I cannot believe that we have one and a half weeks left! Honestly, I am sad to be moving out of Summit so soon. If I could describe my experience in one sentence, I would say "This year in Summit park has shown me how blessed I really am". The Summit Park project forced me to go out into the community. While volunteering I realized how lucky I am to have what I do. There are people in the world struggling to find enough food to eat, while I, a college student, live here in an apartment most people in the world would only dream about. I know this may sound extreme, and I am not trying to talk up the Summit apartments. But looking out into a world other than the one I have been fortunate enough to live in, has made me truly grasp exactly how fortunate I am. It has made me honestly want to volunteer. Until recently I have understood how important volunteering is, but considered myself too busy with my life to contribute. Again, I know it sounds extreme, but I have discovered that I really want to spend my life helping others. People can be very powerful in that way. As I continue my Drury experience, I beleive this lesson will continue to benefit me. Knowing how fortunate I am will continue to make me strive to always make the best of my situation. A saying I have come to love says, "There is always something to be thankful for".
The impact I have made on the community has honestly not been anything big. Through my volunteering, however, I was able to comfort and listen to some children in need of attention and love. Being available to provide a supportive atmosphere for the children at Lighthouse, is something I am sure they benefited from.
If I hadn't lived in Summit I would not have had to experiences that taught me how rewarding it was to volunteer. This project forced me to go into the community, something I don't think I would have made time for otherwise. Looking back at this year, knowing what I do now, I may have tried to find a different organization to volunteer with. The children at Lighthouse are treated well, and I sometimes felt that even though the kids appreciated me there, my time could have been spent making a greater impact.
The advice I would give to future Summit groups is not to treat the volunteering as a task that must be completed. It is very rewarding and can be something enjoyable and relaxing to do. Being as blessed as we are, we should use what we have to help others as much as we can. The Summit park is the perfect place to do this, if you let it be.
Thank you for a wonderful year! I have really felt privileged to have had this experience.
Tiffany
The impact I have made on the community has honestly not been anything big. Through my volunteering, however, I was able to comfort and listen to some children in need of attention and love. Being available to provide a supportive atmosphere for the children at Lighthouse, is something I am sure they benefited from.
If I hadn't lived in Summit I would not have had to experiences that taught me how rewarding it was to volunteer. This project forced me to go into the community, something I don't think I would have made time for otherwise. Looking back at this year, knowing what I do now, I may have tried to find a different organization to volunteer with. The children at Lighthouse are treated well, and I sometimes felt that even though the kids appreciated me there, my time could have been spent making a greater impact.
The advice I would give to future Summit groups is not to treat the volunteering as a task that must be completed. It is very rewarding and can be something enjoyable and relaxing to do. Being as blessed as we are, we should use what we have to help others as much as we can. The Summit park is the perfect place to do this, if you let it be.
Thank you for a wonderful year! I have really felt privileged to have had this experience.
Tiffany
Experiencing Summit
Hey everybody! School is almost coming to a close! I don't know about you, but I am so very ready for summer. End of the year papers and preparations for finals are stressful, but it will soon be over. Looking back on this year in Summit as a whole, I have a feeling of accomplishment. If I were to describe my Summit experience in one sentence, I would say that, "Summit is a program that demands a lot of responsibility at times, yet it fosters leadership development, problem solving, and teamwork among Summit members." As I continue on at Drury, I think one main thing Summit has taught me is how to better work in a group. I learned the importance of communication among members and the importance of compromise when planning events and activities. I learned the importance of taking responsibility for your share of the work, but also the importance of doing whatever is in your power to ensure the project's success. The volunteer aspect of Summit will definitely further my experience at Drury, because it has made me more aware of the Springfield community and has emphasized the importance of contributing to your society.
The most important thing I have learned from Summit Park is that there is a certain aspect of responsibility that comes from being a member of society. As a blessed person, I have a duty to share a portion of my time and talents with others to help to better the community as a whole. I feel like Summit has shown me the importance of what even a small amount of volunteering can do and that people do appreciate your personal efforts to make your community a better place. I think the main impact we have made on the Springfield community and Lighthouse in particular is promoting opportunity. By hosting the Fall Festival, the Christmas Symphony Concert, and the Easter Egg Hunt, we have helped to provide additional opportunities for fun, happiness, and bonding for the children and families of Lighthouse. Without the Beacon Project's interaction with Lighthouse, the children might not have been able to experience these things. I feel like we did an important thing by offering these experiences for them.
If I had not been accepted into the Summit community, I think my year would have gone a lot differently. For one, I would have had to pay for laundry and wash my dishes by hand. Haha I also would not have gotten to experience the different aspects of personal wellness during the first semester and would not even know what Tai Chi is. I also would have been more secluded from and less aware of what is going on in the Springfield community. Additionally, I would not feel as comfortable taking leadership or planning roles as I do now. If I could change something about my Summit experience, I would have better communicated with everyone involved. This includes with Lighthouse and with the other members of the Beacon Project. I feel like some tensions and misunderstandings could have been avoided if we had better communicated about issues and been more proactive in facilitating communication.
To future Summit groups, I would say to make the most out of their experience. While it sometimes seems like a lot of work, it is definitely worth it. Just remember to have a positive attitude about the work you are doing, even if it doesn't always go according to planned. Take your share of the responsibility in your group, and make sure you have open communication with everyone involved in your project.
See you all at the FINAL Summit meeting of the year! I can't wait to hear about everyone's projects and to tell you about ours. Good luck on your finals!
Molly Brown
The most important thing I have learned from Summit Park is that there is a certain aspect of responsibility that comes from being a member of society. As a blessed person, I have a duty to share a portion of my time and talents with others to help to better the community as a whole. I feel like Summit has shown me the importance of what even a small amount of volunteering can do and that people do appreciate your personal efforts to make your community a better place. I think the main impact we have made on the Springfield community and Lighthouse in particular is promoting opportunity. By hosting the Fall Festival, the Christmas Symphony Concert, and the Easter Egg Hunt, we have helped to provide additional opportunities for fun, happiness, and bonding for the children and families of Lighthouse. Without the Beacon Project's interaction with Lighthouse, the children might not have been able to experience these things. I feel like we did an important thing by offering these experiences for them.
If I had not been accepted into the Summit community, I think my year would have gone a lot differently. For one, I would have had to pay for laundry and wash my dishes by hand. Haha I also would not have gotten to experience the different aspects of personal wellness during the first semester and would not even know what Tai Chi is. I also would have been more secluded from and less aware of what is going on in the Springfield community. Additionally, I would not feel as comfortable taking leadership or planning roles as I do now. If I could change something about my Summit experience, I would have better communicated with everyone involved. This includes with Lighthouse and with the other members of the Beacon Project. I feel like some tensions and misunderstandings could have been avoided if we had better communicated about issues and been more proactive in facilitating communication.
To future Summit groups, I would say to make the most out of their experience. While it sometimes seems like a lot of work, it is definitely worth it. Just remember to have a positive attitude about the work you are doing, even if it doesn't always go according to planned. Take your share of the responsibility in your group, and make sure you have open communication with everyone involved in your project.
See you all at the FINAL Summit meeting of the year! I can't wait to hear about everyone's projects and to tell you about ours. Good luck on your finals!
Molly Brown
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Back to Summit!
Hey guys! I am back from my wonderful experience in South Africa! Spending two weeks with my mom and seeing family and friends was absolutely amazing. I swam in the National championships which went well, but I am back to Summit.
Volunteering has been going well. I am stationed in the infant room, which has been an interesting experience. When I first started only two of the babies could walk or crawl. Now, a few months later, all of them can either crawl or walk. It has gone from a calm room, to a room full of crazy boys getting into everything. We sing and dance with them, read to them, and even paint with them. Those little boys have so much energy it is hard to keep up!
Our project this semester was an easter egg hunt that actually took place today. It ended up going really really well. We had more than enough eggs for the kids, which was great because they don't often get treats like the one they got today. We began our project by gather our supplies with turned out to be more of a challenge than we first expected. Many of the parents of the children at Lighthouse don't want their kids eating sweets. Because of this we had to find treat like things that weren't actually unhealthy. We ended up filling the eggs with stickers, miniature boxes of raisins, and organic fruit snacks. By doing this we were able to make the kids and the parents happy. After stuffing the 250 or more eggs, we had to hide them all. We separated the kids into two groups. For the older group we actually hid the eggs. For the little ones, however, we laid the eggs in various spots on the grass. Once all of the eggs were hidden we brought the kids out side to the play ground and let them loose! It was a lot of fun to see them running around finding as many eggs as they were allowed. The little ones were a bit confused at first but once they caught on they ran around picking up as many eggs as they could fit into their bags. All together it was a great day!
I cannot believe the semester is almost over! I have 4 more hours of volunteering to do and then I am done at Lighthouse. Thinking about it though, volunteering with the infants has been such a wonderful experience that I think I might continue some next year!
Tiffany
Volunteering has been going well. I am stationed in the infant room, which has been an interesting experience. When I first started only two of the babies could walk or crawl. Now, a few months later, all of them can either crawl or walk. It has gone from a calm room, to a room full of crazy boys getting into everything. We sing and dance with them, read to them, and even paint with them. Those little boys have so much energy it is hard to keep up!
Our project this semester was an easter egg hunt that actually took place today. It ended up going really really well. We had more than enough eggs for the kids, which was great because they don't often get treats like the one they got today. We began our project by gather our supplies with turned out to be more of a challenge than we first expected. Many of the parents of the children at Lighthouse don't want their kids eating sweets. Because of this we had to find treat like things that weren't actually unhealthy. We ended up filling the eggs with stickers, miniature boxes of raisins, and organic fruit snacks. By doing this we were able to make the kids and the parents happy. After stuffing the 250 or more eggs, we had to hide them all. We separated the kids into two groups. For the older group we actually hid the eggs. For the little ones, however, we laid the eggs in various spots on the grass. Once all of the eggs were hidden we brought the kids out side to the play ground and let them loose! It was a lot of fun to see them running around finding as many eggs as they were allowed. The little ones were a bit confused at first but once they caught on they ran around picking up as many eggs as they could fit into their bags. All together it was a great day!
I cannot believe the semester is almost over! I have 4 more hours of volunteering to do and then I am done at Lighthouse. Thinking about it though, volunteering with the infants has been such a wonderful experience that I think I might continue some next year!
Tiffany
Friday, April 15, 2011
Hey Summit!!
Hey Guys! Hope all is well. Almost done with what has seemed like the busiest semester of my life. I can't believe it's almost over though. Tiff will be back on Monday from her meet in South Africa! Yay! Then we will have our easter egg hunt on wednesday and we are really looking forward to that. Like Deanna said, getting ready for it will be a lot of fun!! We will take a night and fill all of the eggs with candy and stuff. The kids will be so cute searching for them. They love being outside, so hopefully the weather will be nice enough for them to do that. I am still working on my hours, but since I have been a teacher aide as well this semester, balancing time has been hard with Nationals and being sick, but I am working on it! I have really enjoyed being with this group of kids. Some days they are hard to handle, but they have been doing great now.
I think that the teachers have really appreciated us working there. I think that they needed our extra hands with the kids sometimes. The kids also bond with us and love us being there with them. Its fun sometimes for little ones to meet new people and get to have someone else there. Lighthouse has really done a great job with their new facility. I feel that it has been much more organized than the other location. I know that we as a group have enjoyed working at this one more as well. It is definitely different going between working at a high school (which is where my teaching is) to volunteering at a daycare. It's fun to play cute games with them and just "be a kid" again.
When I first started lighthouse, I honestly didn't like working in any room but the infant room. I have now grown to really like the preschoolers (of course still love the little babies). I have a huge respect for preschool teachers and think that the lighthouse organization is doing a great thing! I hope they keep it up for many years to come.
-Jessica
I think that the teachers have really appreciated us working there. I think that they needed our extra hands with the kids sometimes. The kids also bond with us and love us being there with them. Its fun sometimes for little ones to meet new people and get to have someone else there. Lighthouse has really done a great job with their new facility. I feel that it has been much more organized than the other location. I know that we as a group have enjoyed working at this one more as well. It is definitely different going between working at a high school (which is where my teaching is) to volunteering at a daycare. It's fun to play cute games with them and just "be a kid" again.
When I first started lighthouse, I honestly didn't like working in any room but the infant room. I have now grown to really like the preschoolers (of course still love the little babies). I have a huge respect for preschool teachers and think that the lighthouse organization is doing a great thing! I hope they keep it up for many years to come.
-Jessica
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
April Showers bring Summit Flowers
Helloooo Summit!
How was everyone's Technology Fast? Awesome right?! Well I actually thought it was but that is besides the point. Our apartment is doing very well. We are all getting antsy for the summer though. Tiff is still in South Africa kicking butt and hopefully she will be back again with us on Monday! Lighthouse is better than ever. Tomorrow is the last time I'm going to go in by myself to volunteer! I can't believe it's almost been the second semester already! I'm not complaining however, and I'm sure you aren't either! We haven't made much progress with Lighthouse so far besides the hours we go volunteer there, but what we are looking forward to the most is the Easter Egg Hunt we are planning for them! I know through all of my work in the Purple Room with the preschoolers I have gotten so close to the kids and I can't wait to see their faces when we show them what we have done for them! I'm not so excited about stuffing the eggs full of goodies but it just calls for another girls movie night!
Lighthouse has grown so much as an organization over the past semester. They have organized so much and they seem to really have things under control. They are really fitting into the church nicely and the kids are responding to it very well. That is one of my favorite parts about working with Lighthouse. I feel like I am making such a difference there. When I work in the Purple Room, the teachers always thank me a million times when my hour is up, and even when I'm working for Dolly, I can just see the appreciative look on her face. She doesn't have an hour in her day to file papers like I do and when there is a lot on her plate she really looks to us to help out. I love being a part of that.
One of the things that challenged me about Lighthouse was that being with the kids somedays was very stressful and hard work. It didn't dampen my experience at all, it was just one of those things you have to deal with. They would misbehave and treat their teachers very disrespectful somedays and you could just tell how hard it was for the teachers who had to work there. I give them all kudos for doing everyday what I did twice a week only for an hour. And I got stressed in that amount of time!
Apart for tomorrow's last hour and the Easter Egg Hunt our Lighthouse days are coming to a close faster than we know it. It is sad, but we know we can always go and volunteer there now if we ever wanted to. It is a good feeling to know that. Also, it has been such a pleasure meeting all of the kids and staff. It opened my eyes to a world that I might be facing here before I know it and it gave me good experience that I will need for the future. I loved working there and being apart of all of their families. As a little boy Genard told me once, "I love you mommy." And even though it was really scary hearing that, it was also kind of a cool thing. I hope you guys have had as awesome experience as we have with this project. See you all in class Friday!
Deanna
How was everyone's Technology Fast? Awesome right?! Well I actually thought it was but that is besides the point. Our apartment is doing very well. We are all getting antsy for the summer though. Tiff is still in South Africa kicking butt and hopefully she will be back again with us on Monday! Lighthouse is better than ever. Tomorrow is the last time I'm going to go in by myself to volunteer! I can't believe it's almost been the second semester already! I'm not complaining however, and I'm sure you aren't either! We haven't made much progress with Lighthouse so far besides the hours we go volunteer there, but what we are looking forward to the most is the Easter Egg Hunt we are planning for them! I know through all of my work in the Purple Room with the preschoolers I have gotten so close to the kids and I can't wait to see their faces when we show them what we have done for them! I'm not so excited about stuffing the eggs full of goodies but it just calls for another girls movie night!
Lighthouse has grown so much as an organization over the past semester. They have organized so much and they seem to really have things under control. They are really fitting into the church nicely and the kids are responding to it very well. That is one of my favorite parts about working with Lighthouse. I feel like I am making such a difference there. When I work in the Purple Room, the teachers always thank me a million times when my hour is up, and even when I'm working for Dolly, I can just see the appreciative look on her face. She doesn't have an hour in her day to file papers like I do and when there is a lot on her plate she really looks to us to help out. I love being a part of that.
One of the things that challenged me about Lighthouse was that being with the kids somedays was very stressful and hard work. It didn't dampen my experience at all, it was just one of those things you have to deal with. They would misbehave and treat their teachers very disrespectful somedays and you could just tell how hard it was for the teachers who had to work there. I give them all kudos for doing everyday what I did twice a week only for an hour. And I got stressed in that amount of time!
Apart for tomorrow's last hour and the Easter Egg Hunt our Lighthouse days are coming to a close faster than we know it. It is sad, but we know we can always go and volunteer there now if we ever wanted to. It is a good feeling to know that. Also, it has been such a pleasure meeting all of the kids and staff. It opened my eyes to a world that I might be facing here before I know it and it gave me good experience that I will need for the future. I loved working there and being apart of all of their families. As a little boy Genard told me once, "I love you mommy." And even though it was really scary hearing that, it was also kind of a cool thing. I hope you guys have had as awesome experience as we have with this project. See you all in class Friday!
Deanna
Summit Spring Fever
Hello Summit! Spring is in the air, and I am so ready for summer to be here. Only one month of school left! Woohoo! That does also mean that we will soon have to move out of Summit, which is sad, because I love our apartment and my roomies. All good things have to come to an end at some point though.
Things at Lighthouse have been going really well this semester. In my opinion, the agency has appreciated our help a lot more this semester than last semester. During the fall semester, I felt like they were so busy getting ready for the location change, that they never really had time to plan work for us. This led to a lot of awkward moments when we didn't really know what was expected of us or how to best help out. This spring semester, however, it has been much easier to make a difference. A lot of progress has been made towards identifying the roles we play at Lighthouse and in feeling like we are making more of a difference. In fall semester, they often wouldn't have things planned for us to do and would just assign us somewhere at the spur of the moment. This semester, Dolly always has a task set aside for me to do, which helps me know what they expect of me. I view this as a major accomplishment in communication between us and Lighthouse.
This past month, the greatest experience for me at the agency was, oddly enough, filing papers in the children's family binders. I know this sounds like a really boring task, and it wasn't super exciting, but it did open my eyes to the work Lighthouse does. While I was filing, I noticed the number of family binders that were on the shelf. All of the children aren't present in the center everyday, so it's hard to gauge the number of kids at Lighthouse. By seeing the number of binders, I got a better idea of just how many kids Lighthouse helps. I realized that the majority of these families would have a much more difficult time finding quality childcare if it wasn't for the services Lighthouse provides. This experience made me really proud to be helping out at an organization that helps so many others.
The greatest challenge at the agency for me this month was volunteering in the Purple Preschool Room. I only helped out in there for an hour one day, but while I was in there, utter chaos ensued. One of the girls started throwing a hardcore temper tantrum complete with hitting the classroom teacher and ear-splitting screams. This all occurred right before nap time, so I was faced with the task of trying to get all of the other kids on their cots. Since there was so much noise, the kids didn't want to go to sleep or lay down, so it was a somewhat frustrating experience for me. It was even harder since I didn't know any of the children or the teacher.
On Wednesday of next week, April 20, from 3-4, we will be putting on an Easter egg hunt at Lighthouse. :) We are all really excited about this event, and I absolutely love Easter, so it should be a great time. Next Monday night, we are going shopping for the eggs and some kind of healthy treat or prize to put inside them, since many parents at Lighthouse are health-conscious. On Wednesday, we are going to go in early to hide all of the eggs on the playgrounds. Hopefully this is a fun event for the kids, and hopefully it goes smoothly! After the preparation for the event and the actual hunt, I will only have a couple more volunteer hours left at Lighthouse, so those will go by very quickly.
That's all for now, but I will see everyone at class on Friday! Happy Spring! :)
Things at Lighthouse have been going really well this semester. In my opinion, the agency has appreciated our help a lot more this semester than last semester. During the fall semester, I felt like they were so busy getting ready for the location change, that they never really had time to plan work for us. This led to a lot of awkward moments when we didn't really know what was expected of us or how to best help out. This spring semester, however, it has been much easier to make a difference. A lot of progress has been made towards identifying the roles we play at Lighthouse and in feeling like we are making more of a difference. In fall semester, they often wouldn't have things planned for us to do and would just assign us somewhere at the spur of the moment. This semester, Dolly always has a task set aside for me to do, which helps me know what they expect of me. I view this as a major accomplishment in communication between us and Lighthouse.
This past month, the greatest experience for me at the agency was, oddly enough, filing papers in the children's family binders. I know this sounds like a really boring task, and it wasn't super exciting, but it did open my eyes to the work Lighthouse does. While I was filing, I noticed the number of family binders that were on the shelf. All of the children aren't present in the center everyday, so it's hard to gauge the number of kids at Lighthouse. By seeing the number of binders, I got a better idea of just how many kids Lighthouse helps. I realized that the majority of these families would have a much more difficult time finding quality childcare if it wasn't for the services Lighthouse provides. This experience made me really proud to be helping out at an organization that helps so many others.
The greatest challenge at the agency for me this month was volunteering in the Purple Preschool Room. I only helped out in there for an hour one day, but while I was in there, utter chaos ensued. One of the girls started throwing a hardcore temper tantrum complete with hitting the classroom teacher and ear-splitting screams. This all occurred right before nap time, so I was faced with the task of trying to get all of the other kids on their cots. Since there was so much noise, the kids didn't want to go to sleep or lay down, so it was a somewhat frustrating experience for me. It was even harder since I didn't know any of the children or the teacher.
On Wednesday of next week, April 20, from 3-4, we will be putting on an Easter egg hunt at Lighthouse. :) We are all really excited about this event, and I absolutely love Easter, so it should be a great time. Next Monday night, we are going shopping for the eggs and some kind of healthy treat or prize to put inside them, since many parents at Lighthouse are health-conscious. On Wednesday, we are going to go in early to hide all of the eggs on the playgrounds. Hopefully this is a fun event for the kids, and hopefully it goes smoothly! After the preparation for the event and the actual hunt, I will only have a couple more volunteer hours left at Lighthouse, so those will go by very quickly.
That's all for now, but I will see everyone at class on Friday! Happy Spring! :)
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Hey Guys!
The summit swimmer girls are back in town! wooo!! and just in time for Spring Break too! haha. I hope everyone is doing well and that your projects are going great. I realized that I guess I completely forgot to blog last time... my bad :( sorry Andrew! But our project with Lighthouse is going well. We plan on doing a little easter egg hunt with the kids when its closer to Easter, but other than that we have just been volunteering. They have put us in assigned rooms or jobs that are a little different from what we did last semester. I am now working in what they call the green room which are the kids that are between the ages 3 and 5. I have to admit that I will definitely not be going into the "young childcare" career, haha but it's fun. I work in the classroom between about 9 to 11, which is before lunch and their nap, so you can tell which kids are ready for their nap...
The overall experience has been great at Lighthouse though. I have learned to work in an education environment. So even though I want to work in the Secondary education atmosphere, it still is a good experience. I especially like it there now because lighthouse has moved to a new location that is way nicer than the other place, in the sense that the rooms are nice and big. They painted them light colors and make them very kid-friendly.
Ok well see you guys after break!
-Jessica
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Woohoo!!!!
Hello again my Summit friends! The Beacon Project girls have had one exciting/stressful/busy week this past week! We literally JUST got back from our Nationals swim meet in San Antonio, Texas after being gone for an entire week. It was an absolutely wonderful experience to defend our title as National Champions, but, man, are we tired and happy to be back in our Summit apartment! Ahhhh home, sweet, home. Unfortunately, we had to miss class on Friday, but hopefully everyone enjoyed the speaker, and we will definitely be at next month’s meeting.
Things at Lighthouse are continuing to go much more smoothly than last semester. We have settled into our roles as volunteers (finally), and Dolly always has something lined up for us to do now. The past couple times I have volunteered, I’ve just organized paperwork. Lighthouse was preparing for their meetings with all the individual families, so I had to file papers under each family name so they could review them at their family meetings. While I wish I got to work with the kids, I often find my volunteer hours very relaxing, and the time seems to go by really quickly. Also, now that we are done swimming for the season, we should be able to dedicate even more time to volunteering and to planning our April Easter egg hunt. :)
Everything is going really well in our apartment. Over the past week at Nationals, I feel like my roommates and I have bonded even more and gotten even closer together since we’ve been working towards a common goal. I was so proud of all of them and our Summit boys this past week, and I feel like things will go even more smoothly in our apartment this semester since we won’t be exhausted and cranky from morning practice all of the time. Haha That’s about all to report from the Beacon Project! I hope to see everybody next month!
~Molly
Halfway There!!
Hey everyone!
We just got back from winning NCAA division II swimming national championships!!! So this semester has been great so far both in and out of Lighthouse. I am still volunteering in the center and things are going really well. I have been assigned to the infant room which has been a very rewarding experience to me for many reasons.
I am actually in a child development class this semester which has given me some insight into how each of these children are developing. Being able to observe children in a variety of different stages in there development has helped me better understand the actually material being presented in my class. I have also been able to identify certain behaviors the children display and how to appropriately handle many of them. I suppose I have just enjoyed seeing my class in action.
I have also enjoyed volunteering at Lighthouse because of the atmosphere. Being able to help these babies by changing there diapers, feeding them or rocking them to sleep has been a privilege. I have discovered that I absolutely love kids. After volunteering this semester I always feel so relaxed and refreshed. It makes me feel so good it has become a little get-a-way. I really look forward to volunteering every week.
Lastly I have really enjoyed this experience becuase of what I have been able to give back. I was volunteering the other day and one of the mothers stopped by to see her son. She came in while he and I were playing with some blocks on the floor. She was so appreciative of what I was doing that she couldn't stop thanking me. It felt so good to know I was actually helping someone that much.
We have begun planning our Easter egg hunt and party for the children. It looks like it is going to be really exciting! We hope to have some sort of activity or craft as well as an easter egg hunt in which all of the children will participate. Lighthouse is very excited about the event as well. I think it is going to be a great success.
Tiffany
We just got back from winning NCAA division II swimming national championships!!! So this semester has been great so far both in and out of Lighthouse. I am still volunteering in the center and things are going really well. I have been assigned to the infant room which has been a very rewarding experience to me for many reasons.
I am actually in a child development class this semester which has given me some insight into how each of these children are developing. Being able to observe children in a variety of different stages in there development has helped me better understand the actually material being presented in my class. I have also been able to identify certain behaviors the children display and how to appropriately handle many of them. I suppose I have just enjoyed seeing my class in action.
I have also enjoyed volunteering at Lighthouse because of the atmosphere. Being able to help these babies by changing there diapers, feeding them or rocking them to sleep has been a privilege. I have discovered that I absolutely love kids. After volunteering this semester I always feel so relaxed and refreshed. It makes me feel so good it has become a little get-a-way. I really look forward to volunteering every week.
Lastly I have really enjoyed this experience becuase of what I have been able to give back. I was volunteering the other day and one of the mothers stopped by to see her son. She came in while he and I were playing with some blocks on the floor. She was so appreciative of what I was doing that she couldn't stop thanking me. It felt so good to know I was actually helping someone that much.
We have begun planning our Easter egg hunt and party for the children. It looks like it is going to be really exciting! We hope to have some sort of activity or craft as well as an easter egg hunt in which all of the children will participate. Lighthouse is very excited about the event as well. I think it is going to be a great success.
Tiffany
Friday, March 11, 2011
Hello from Nationals!
Hey guys!
We are at Nationals right now and totally dominating! I hope I haven't spoken too soon, but everything is going great! It's so exciting to be here. We are sorry we are missing class! But not too much is new in the Lighthouse department. Volunteering is going great and running very smoothly. They seem to have everything organized and professional now. I always have something to do, and I always know where to go. I almost have all of my hours in by this time!
The next thing on our list is our big Easter Egg Hunt that we are going to throw for the kids! We haven't discussed it much because our main focus has been this week at Nationals, but now that swimming won't be involved much anymore we are going to put forth a lot of effort at Lighthouse. We will have so much more time to be planning and helping them out.
Everything at Summit is going just fine. We haven't been home all week, so I hope our apartment is ok! But the four of us are swimming great and having fun representing Drury at the meet. There really isn't much more to talk about, but I hope we see you soon as National Champions!
Deanna
We are at Nationals right now and totally dominating! I hope I haven't spoken too soon, but everything is going great! It's so exciting to be here. We are sorry we are missing class! But not too much is new in the Lighthouse department. Volunteering is going great and running very smoothly. They seem to have everything organized and professional now. I always have something to do, and I always know where to go. I almost have all of my hours in by this time!
The next thing on our list is our big Easter Egg Hunt that we are going to throw for the kids! We haven't discussed it much because our main focus has been this week at Nationals, but now that swimming won't be involved much anymore we are going to put forth a lot of effort at Lighthouse. We will have so much more time to be planning and helping them out.
Everything at Summit is going just fine. We haven't been home all week, so I hope our apartment is ok! But the four of us are swimming great and having fun representing Drury at the meet. There really isn't much more to talk about, but I hope we see you soon as National Champions!
Deanna
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Second Semeter at Summit!
Can you guys believe we are already a third of the way through semester?!! Midterms are right around the corner and so is the end of swimming for us swimmers! Nationals is coming closer than ever and we will even have to miss a class because we will be gone. But save for everything finishing up, volunteering at Lighthouse has just begun for us. It has gone so well too! They have moved locations to First Baptist Church on South and Elm street and they have become so much more organized and welcoming. The girls and I always have something to do and they are always ready for us when we come! Which, is a definite improvement from last sememster.
During this next semester at Lighthouse, the girls and I plan to volunteer as much as we can. The move was huge for the agency and it left them with a lot of work and organizing to do. Once everything is put in it's proper place they will run smoother than ever, but for now, a lot of things are still being fixed and a lot of kinks are having to be worked out. We also want to throw an Easter Egg hunt for the kids when it gets closer to April. We are really excited about this and have already talked to the Lighthouse leaders and they seem to be excited too!
One of the greatest experiences this month with the agency is getting to see it blossom in it's new setting. It is so much easier for us to come in and get our hours done when they know we are coming and have things for us to do. Dolly is so organized and so are the entire staff. It is easier to get a hold of them and communicate and the resources they have have greatly improved which makes it for a better learning environment for the kids. I no longer feel any discomfort playing and helping out with the kids. They are so much fun! Their new setting has also been somewhat of a disadvantage too, however. They went through almost an entire staff change. We now have to get to know new teachers, which isn't hard, but it was a little nerve wracking the next day. Also, for however much they are organized now, they still have a long way to go. We're talking about another resource room people!! But it's alright. We are so happy to help out.
I know you all are nervous about the Technology Fast project we are going to have to do, but I gotta tell ya, I am super stoked! I lost my phone at the very end of last semester, and as inconvenient as it was sometimes, not having to worry about it, was kind of glorious. I'm not going to lie. Will I miss my iPod? Yes. But please don't worry. This experience will be so fun to see how much technology takes over our lives!
Being a leader has always meant a lot to me. I never put myself in leadership roles but somehow always find myself there. Earlier this semester I had to lead our Alto's in choir in a sectional while my dad was absent for a few days and it was so much fun! I tried to use the leadership skills that I had aquired in class and from living in Summit to help aid me as I taught them. Also, the freshman girls on the swim team want to join in on the Summit fun next year, and myself, as well as the other three girls have been talking with them and aiding them through the process. The swimmers, hopefully, will stick!! I am planning on still being the faculty advisor coordinator this semester and I am going to try and help plan the projects more and get my input into the plan. Last semester I stood back, but this semester I am hoping to get much more involved.
I hope you all are having a wonderful semester so far. See you tomorrow!
Deanna
During this next semester at Lighthouse, the girls and I plan to volunteer as much as we can. The move was huge for the agency and it left them with a lot of work and organizing to do. Once everything is put in it's proper place they will run smoother than ever, but for now, a lot of things are still being fixed and a lot of kinks are having to be worked out. We also want to throw an Easter Egg hunt for the kids when it gets closer to April. We are really excited about this and have already talked to the Lighthouse leaders and they seem to be excited too!
One of the greatest experiences this month with the agency is getting to see it blossom in it's new setting. It is so much easier for us to come in and get our hours done when they know we are coming and have things for us to do. Dolly is so organized and so are the entire staff. It is easier to get a hold of them and communicate and the resources they have have greatly improved which makes it for a better learning environment for the kids. I no longer feel any discomfort playing and helping out with the kids. They are so much fun! Their new setting has also been somewhat of a disadvantage too, however. They went through almost an entire staff change. We now have to get to know new teachers, which isn't hard, but it was a little nerve wracking the next day. Also, for however much they are organized now, they still have a long way to go. We're talking about another resource room people!! But it's alright. We are so happy to help out.
I know you all are nervous about the Technology Fast project we are going to have to do, but I gotta tell ya, I am super stoked! I lost my phone at the very end of last semester, and as inconvenient as it was sometimes, not having to worry about it, was kind of glorious. I'm not going to lie. Will I miss my iPod? Yes. But please don't worry. This experience will be so fun to see how much technology takes over our lives!
Being a leader has always meant a lot to me. I never put myself in leadership roles but somehow always find myself there. Earlier this semester I had to lead our Alto's in choir in a sectional while my dad was absent for a few days and it was so much fun! I tried to use the leadership skills that I had aquired in class and from living in Summit to help aid me as I taught them. Also, the freshman girls on the swim team want to join in on the Summit fun next year, and myself, as well as the other three girls have been talking with them and aiding them through the process. The swimmers, hopefully, will stick!! I am planning on still being the faculty advisor coordinator this semester and I am going to try and help plan the projects more and get my input into the plan. Last semester I stood back, but this semester I am hoping to get much more involved.
I hope you all are having a wonderful semester so far. See you tomorrow!
Deanna
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Spring Semester Here We Come!!
Hey guys!!
So far the school year has started out great! We were able to get in touch with the agency quite easily this semester. We organized a meeting and were able to plan our events and volunteer times. This semester we are planning on only having one main event. With the rest of the money we have in our budget we are planning an easter egg hunt and party for the children. We are planning this event for a hopefully beautiful spring day the week before easter. Other than this project, we are focusing primarily on spending time in the center.
In this last month at the center, I was only able to volunteer twice. Lighthouse closes whenever Springfield Public Schools are closed, so for a couple of weeks we were unable to volunteer. The time that I have been at the center, however, have been wonderful. I was assigned to the infant room, so I spent hours feeding, cuddling, and then rocking the babies to sleep. I love all ages of children, but helping in this way made me feel to relaxed. Because there were so many children there on both days, I knew my help was being appreciated.
The greatest challenge that I face this past month in terms of volunteering was the weather. It seemed as though there was always something stopping me from getting to Lighthouse. It was either snowing, the roads were icy, or a huge pile of snow was plowed into my car. Thankfully Spring is around the corner and we won't have to worry about more snow :)
In this next semester of summit, I really am looking forward to the 24hrs technology fast. It will be very interesting to see how much I actually use technology. I do not really consider myself one of those people who are constantly attached to technology of some sort, but I am sure through this project I am going to be shocked at how much I really do rely on it.
Last semester I was the group member who coordinated almost all of the meetings and events. I was responsible for all communications with our agency. This was really stressful for many reasons. The biggest reason however, ( I know it sounds stupid) is that I have a phobia of talking on the phone. This has been something I have been trying to get over since I can remember. I obviously had to get over this quickly since that was my whole job. Having gotten over this fear, even though it seems small, is a huge accomplishment for me. So other than the fact that I had to learn to handle and organize many events, resources, and people, this was probably one of my greatest accomplishments in Summit.
I am really looking forward to this next semester and volunteering at the center!
Tiffany
So far the school year has started out great! We were able to get in touch with the agency quite easily this semester. We organized a meeting and were able to plan our events and volunteer times. This semester we are planning on only having one main event. With the rest of the money we have in our budget we are planning an easter egg hunt and party for the children. We are planning this event for a hopefully beautiful spring day the week before easter. Other than this project, we are focusing primarily on spending time in the center.
In this last month at the center, I was only able to volunteer twice. Lighthouse closes whenever Springfield Public Schools are closed, so for a couple of weeks we were unable to volunteer. The time that I have been at the center, however, have been wonderful. I was assigned to the infant room, so I spent hours feeding, cuddling, and then rocking the babies to sleep. I love all ages of children, but helping in this way made me feel to relaxed. Because there were so many children there on both days, I knew my help was being appreciated.
The greatest challenge that I face this past month in terms of volunteering was the weather. It seemed as though there was always something stopping me from getting to Lighthouse. It was either snowing, the roads were icy, or a huge pile of snow was plowed into my car. Thankfully Spring is around the corner and we won't have to worry about more snow :)
In this next semester of summit, I really am looking forward to the 24hrs technology fast. It will be very interesting to see how much I actually use technology. I do not really consider myself one of those people who are constantly attached to technology of some sort, but I am sure through this project I am going to be shocked at how much I really do rely on it.
Last semester I was the group member who coordinated almost all of the meetings and events. I was responsible for all communications with our agency. This was really stressful for many reasons. The biggest reason however, ( I know it sounds stupid) is that I have a phobia of talking on the phone. This has been something I have been trying to get over since I can remember. I obviously had to get over this quickly since that was my whole job. Having gotten over this fear, even though it seems small, is a huge accomplishment for me. So other than the fact that I had to learn to handle and organize many events, resources, and people, this was probably one of my greatest accomplishments in Summit.
I am really looking forward to this next semester and volunteering at the center!
Tiffany
Thursday, February 10, 2011
And We Begin Again!
Hey hey hey my Summit friends! I hope you all enjoyed your snow days off of school! I definitely know I did. However, I am ready for this snow to be gone, so I can get my tiny car out of the Summit parking lot and get on with my life! The start of this semester has went much more smoothly than the beginning of fall semester as far as volunteer hours go. We were able to meet with Dolly the second week back at school to discuss volunteer times and tour the new center, so we actually started volunteering the week after that. Over the course of this semester, my group and I are really excited to volunteer in the new, better structured and organized center every week. Also, we spoke with Dolly about using the remainder of our Summit budget to have an Easter egg hunt for the kids at Lighthouse the week before Easter, and she thought that was a great idea. We're planning on putting candy and prizes in each eggs and providing baskets they can use to gather them and then take home. It will take place during their school day, so all of the children will be able to be involved, which is really exciting.
The best experience with Lighthouse this month has definitely been seeing their new center. They are now located in the First Baptist Church downtown, and everyone seems to really love it there. The facility is much newer than their previous one, and the classrooms are sooooooo much bigger; something they desperately needed. Also, Dolly said the First Baptist Church is much more accommodating to them and more willing to help them get things accomplished than the church at their other location. Lighthouse also experienced some staff changes over Christmas break, and the new staff seem to have brought a more positive and better organized atmosphere with them, which is much appreciated by us Summit volunteers.
The greatest challenge this month with our agency was the blizzard-like weather we've been having. Last week was pretty frustrating because none of us were able to go volunteer due to the inclement weather. Lighthouse closes whenever Springfield Public Schools are closed, so we weren't able to volunteer for a week. This put a brief halt to our forward progress, which we didn't particularly enjoy.
In Summit class this semester, I'm really looking forward to creating a budget and tracking my expenses. I want to learn how to better save my money, and I want to see where the majority of my money is going each month. As a poor, struggling college student, I feel like I need all the help I can get in learning how to budget better.
Last semester fostered my leadership skills by teaching me how to better interact with people in the community. Especially by hosting the fall festival, I learned how to interact with community leaders, how to plan a successful event, and how to problem solve when things didn't go as planned. The fall festival showed me how to take charge and how to solve conflicts. The main thing it stressed to me was the importance of communication. This semester, I will still be in charge of the budget and will be sharing the responsibility of planning the Easter egg hunt.
That's all for now, but I will post again soon! Hope everyone is staying warm!
Molly Brown
The best experience with Lighthouse this month has definitely been seeing their new center. They are now located in the First Baptist Church downtown, and everyone seems to really love it there. The facility is much newer than their previous one, and the classrooms are sooooooo much bigger; something they desperately needed. Also, Dolly said the First Baptist Church is much more accommodating to them and more willing to help them get things accomplished than the church at their other location. Lighthouse also experienced some staff changes over Christmas break, and the new staff seem to have brought a more positive and better organized atmosphere with them, which is much appreciated by us Summit volunteers.
The greatest challenge this month with our agency was the blizzard-like weather we've been having. Last week was pretty frustrating because none of us were able to go volunteer due to the inclement weather. Lighthouse closes whenever Springfield Public Schools are closed, so we weren't able to volunteer for a week. This put a brief halt to our forward progress, which we didn't particularly enjoy.
In Summit class this semester, I'm really looking forward to creating a budget and tracking my expenses. I want to learn how to better save my money, and I want to see where the majority of my money is going each month. As a poor, struggling college student, I feel like I need all the help I can get in learning how to budget better.
Last semester fostered my leadership skills by teaching me how to better interact with people in the community. Especially by hosting the fall festival, I learned how to interact with community leaders, how to plan a successful event, and how to problem solve when things didn't go as planned. The fall festival showed me how to take charge and how to solve conflicts. The main thing it stressed to me was the importance of communication. This semester, I will still be in charge of the budget and will be sharing the responsibility of planning the Easter egg hunt.
That's all for now, but I will post again soon! Hope everyone is staying warm!
Molly Brown
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