During the week of 7/30, I feel t hat I have learned so much more about my students even though I thought I knew them well. I have seen all of them excel in so many different things! They just needed to be taken out of their comfort zones to be able to find that skill. We played some games during programs that got us moving but also got us to know each other better. I explained to the students that I acquired the activities from a book full of activities that I received at a training session. One of the students asked if she could see the book, so I let her borrow it. She came back to our next session with five activities that sounded really exciting to her. We didn’t have much time, but we came to an agreement that if she came back the next day and taught us how to the activities, we would do them. This young lady was one of the shyest students I had at the beginning of program, but when next day came, she was so excited and ready to teach the class the activities she had chosen. I am so proud that students can practice skills they probably won’t be able to practice at school.
This week we also had Mr. Levesque come in and perform his C.O.O.L Workshop, which was phenomenal. The students were able to practice their speaking skills and learned about how to be professional with others. Even I learned during Mr. Levesque’s workshop, and the students loved it.
We kept planning our final showcase, and every day the students seemed more excited about everything. So many great ideas have still been coming up, and I have seen the leadership skills of all of them slowly improve over the term. They were also really excited to be able to talk to businesses around the community in hopes that they could sponsor some part of our event and in return be advertised on our car. One student said, “it feels good to have made something and feel proud of it.” The students have been working hard to make their teams, and it’s all coming together beautifully. This week, we also had an amazing field trip to Dyson! The students were able to learn about Dyson, what they do, how they started, and what they work for. While there, the students participated in an activity in which they had to create an object that solved a problem and then create a prototype. The students came up with several creative and ingenious devices: a device that kept all your electrical cords together, a portable automatic water cooler, a broom that cut any trapped hairs, and an remote-controlled lawn mower. Many said they had never created a prototype of anything, and I am so happy they were able to receive that experience.
Written By: Uzziel Fernandez