[Community-service] volunteering with kids or youth

Sun Mar 6 02:24:16 UTC 2011

Hi Ashly,

  Interviewers can't ask you disability  related questions, but do
keep in mind that they can ask how a prospective employee would do the
work asked of them.
 Memorizing names is  something that  people are generally   going to
find a struggle, so take comfort in that it is not so much  a
blindness thing.

 You  can ask for    the youth you work with to say their name when
talking to you "Hi   Ashly,  this is Kieth, and i am wondering if it's
ok to go to the water slide with Jeremy?"  That example  quote brings
me to a way of keeping track of youth.   employing the buddy system
is a very effictive way of making sure that people are safe.  If you
make sure that  no one goes anywhere by themselves, that you know who
all is going where and when they will  return, you will be doing fine.
 Sighted staff use this to great effect.   You can make clear that
these groupings should stay together and that if they don't stay
together, that consiquences may follow. structure benifits you, and it
also benifits others, as it makes tracking easier, and gives the
campers responsibility, something you want to instill upon youth.
  As for sports, try to play the game with them, try to be a score
keeper.  mainly, being around the students, striking up a conversation
  with them, building up a relationship with them makes the process of
keeping track, knowing who's who, and them trusting you and you them
easier.
 I hope this helps.

On 3/4/11, bookwormahb at earthlink.net <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Hi Darian,
> I'd like to do this as well; possibly as an employee although I'm certainly
> willing to volunteer for the experience!
> There are many summer camps locally in the area at community centers and
> recreation facilities.
> How have you managed the kids? How do you know where they are, that they are
> not getting hurt and doing what they are supposed to?
> The camps involve structured activities inside which is not as challenging
> to handle.  I can walk around and observe the kids.  Stuff like dramma,
> music, and arts and crafts are some activities. However, others involve
> outdoor sport activities and I do not know how I'd manage that.
>
> How did you convince them to let you help out?
> I would think the interviewer would be skeptical; also in my case I have
> little experience to say its been done before.
> Are kids good at identifying themselves when they talk to you?  I'm not good
> at remembering lots of names!  Kids' voices can sound the same sometimes.
>
> Thanks.
> Ashley
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Darian Smith
> Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2011 2:06 AM
> To: Community Service Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [Community-service] volunteering with kids or youth
>
> As working with youth goes, I have worked with blind, pan-disability
> and sighted  youth in  day camp, summer camps, and  structured summer
> programs.
> I have enjoyed all  those oppertunities,  and find  the work very rewarding.
> all of my interactions have been in recreational settings, as
> recreation is a career interest of mine.
>    Generally  being present   with students is  the hugest thing.
> showing them how to have fun, or how to interact with their peers, or
> how to be a team player and maintain a positive aditudeis the best
> thing.
>   You may get challanged because of your blindness, but  this is
> common and  not at all personal. Setting boundrys and keeping ferm
> within the rules is key to earning respect there.
>
>
>
> On 2/28/11, bookwormahb at earthlink.net <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Hi Greg,
>> I like the idea of helping children and youth.  Because I’ve been to
>> college, I have more in depth knowledge of the subjects the kids/teens are
>> studying.
>> Like you, in college I volunteered with an after school program run by a
>> nonprofit.
>> I was sometimes a help; other times not.  I tried the technique you used;
>> I
>> sat with the kids and asked them to explain what they were doing or what
>> they were writing down.
>> I asked them to read their homework assignment, usually a worksheet, to
>> me.
>> Other times I listened to kids read and if they had trouble, I helped them
>> with the words; it was hard because I didn’t have a braille copy; so I
>> asked
>> them to spell the word and we could then sound it out.
>> Sometimes, though, I knew they were reading the wrong words or
>> mispronouncing them, but I couldn’t correct them or figure out the words;
>> I
>> wish I had a braille copy and then I would have been more help to them.
>>
>> I might do better tutoring kids with a more structured curriculum such as
>> a
>> reading program they are following.
>> There are many summer school programs around coming up and several
>> programs
>> for low income children to improve literacy skills and have fun.  So I
>> might
>> try it again.
>> If I assist with reading and writing though, I’d like to have more braille
>> matterials; perhaps I can get some ahead of time and scan them so I can
>> read
>> it on my braille display or hard copy braille.
>>
>> Ashley
>>
>>
>> From: Greg Aikens
>> Sent: Monday, February 28, 2011 12:36 AM
>> To: Community Service Discussion List
>> Subject: Re: [Community-service] volunteering with kids or youth
>>
>> Hi Ashley,
>> Working with kids and youth is a great way to do community service.  In
>> college, I volunteered at a few  after school programs for elementary
>> schoolers.  I would usually sit with kids and help them with their
>> homework.
>>  Even if kids don't know how to do the problems, they can often enough
>> read
>> their homework assignment to you, or you can get one of their classmates
>> to
>> help you both understand the assignment.  Depending on the kid, just
>> providing one on one attention can be extremely benefitial, even if you
>> don't help with their homework.  I also helped plan an event for the big
>> brothers/big sisters groups in our area.  That was a lot of fun and
>> involved
>> more group planning and running activities than one on one kid time.  So,
>> there are all kinds of possibilities to volunteer with kids in your area
>> I'm
>> sure.  The Boys and Girls clubs are always looking for people to help
>> after
>> school, and sometimes they pay a little bit too.
>>
>> I know you are looking for volunteer experiences to build your resume, but
>> short term pay positions would also help.  If you are wanting to work with
>> kids you could try getting jobs at one of the numerous summer camps and
>> summer programs for blind kids that happen all over the country.  That
>> would
>> give you a lot of experience, and maybe a little cash, and still build
>> your
>> resume.
>>
>> Just some thoughts.
>>
>> Best of luck.
>>
>> Greg
>>
>> On Feb 27, 2011, at 10:58 PM, <bookwormahb at earthlink.net>
>> <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>>   Hi all,
>>
>>   This list is real quiet.
>>   I’d like to hear about your experiences because I am planning to
>> volunteer
>> this summer.
>>   I have a degree from Marymount university; it’s a BA in
>> psychology/communications. But I need more experience before getting a job
>> and I am aware that often volunteer experiences lead to employment
>> opportunities.
>>
>>   My interests include helping kids/youth in academics or anything I can
>> help them in, outreach, event planning and anything communications driven
>> such as writing newsletters, public relations and public affairs.
>>   So have any of you helped kids or youth and if so what did you do? What
>> accomodations did you use? If I work at a camp or recreation setting, I
>> know
>> they will wonder how I can manage children.
>>
>>   I’ve thought about trying some nonprofit around here and seeing what I
>> can
>> do to assist the youth.
>>
>>   Thanks.
>>   Ashley
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>>
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>
>
> --
> Darian Smith
> Skype: The_Blind_Truth
> Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
> Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace
>
> "The purpose of life is a life of purpose.
>
> — Robert Byrne
>
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-- 
Darian Smith
Skype: The_Blind_Truth
Windows Live: Lightningrod2010 at live.com
Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/goldengateace

"The purpose of life is a life of purpose.

— Robert Byrne