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Groups

  • Engage Georgia

  • Thomas Lay After-School Program

  • Student Organizations

  • Student Life

  • Athens Area Humane Society

  • Classes

    Impacts

    Cooking
    Thursdays Elementary School Volunteering

    I volunteered at the Thomas Lay After-School Program for elementary schoolers. When I got there, I met with other volunteers before the children came. When the children did arrive, I joined a table where I helped a boy work on his math workbook pages. There were a lot of children and not a lot of volunteers on this particular day, so I found myself jumping from child to child where I thought I would be needed. They were very energetic because it was one of their friend’s birthdays. A lot of the work just involved calming them down and trying to get them to focus on one activity. They seemed to have had fun though.
    I was pretty tired by the end of the session. The children were difficult to control and, I guess since I was a new face, they didn’t want to listen to me a lot. Still, I became friends with a few of the girls and was able to help a few of them with their academic work. When we went to the gym, I played tag with the boys and kept them entertained while they waited for the next large activity. I think that I made a positive impression on them.
    Looking back, I think I could’ve been more helpful and open to the children if I asked one of the more experienced volunteers for assistance. To be fair to myself though, the number of volunteers to children was low, and because almost every child was bouncing off the wall with energy, it might have been more trouble to bother them. I think I did have some trouble putting myself out there as well. I used to babysit kids who were these children's ages, so I thought I could slip back into that carefree mindset. However, it had been a while, so I think I was a little awkward in the beginning. By the end of the program though, I was able to be more open and energetic than before. I do wish, however, that we had enough volunteers to where I could stick with one or two children and get to know them. Spreading myself so thin was difficult, and though it seemed necessary, I would’ve liked it better to focus my attention on a few children rather than the entire group.
    I think the biggest thing that I’m taking away from this experience is that there seems to be a lack of resources for children’s programs. I already knew this by having a few teacher friends, but actually experiencing it made a difference. I do think that contributing to the enrichment of children is really important, but it’s difficult to do when there is a lack of assistance. If I had more free time and wasn’t already tired from all my other obligations, I would consider volunteering with children’s programs more. However, it’s a very tiring experience if you are not prepared for it, so I don’t think it’s a great fit for me right now.

    Gave 2.50 hours on 02/17/2022 with Engage Georgia, Student Life, Student Organizations, UNIV 1201S Learning for Success at the University (48666)