Reflection on Project

I chose my project because I was ordered to do some community service.  I figured why not take what I learned doing my community service and see if there was a project that would come out of it.  After working eighty hours mainly with fourth graders at Washington Elementary, which is a Title I school, I realized how needed tutors really are when it comes to underprivileged kids.  The first thing I did was talk with my mom about her experiences at the school and the fourth grade teacher I’ve been working with.  The school also has two reading specialist who gave me a bunch of information and told me how hard it is to get the parents involved and how difficult it is to get volunteers.  The school mainly relies on Title I tutors and a few senior citizen volunteers.  Few parents are seen at the school helping the kids.  I went on two field trips with the class because they did not have any parents sign up to help.  I decided that not only this school but most Title I schools probably have the same problem with getting volunteers so why not get the word out to the community and appeal to those that can truly help: college students, senior citizens, business owners, community and church groups.  A brochure seemed to be the best avenue.  I geared the brochure so it could be used for any Title I school, not just Washington.  However, the school is interested to see the finished brochure. The information can always be tweaked a bit for any given school. Perhaps by adding their statistics would be helpful for the community to see.  The project made me realize the importance of not only community involvement but also made me appreciate my own parental support.  I hope that the little time I spent at the school helped.  I know it helped me and the project gave me a sense of community engagement and responsibility.