Logan 2010

A few weeks ago, I went to Logan for the last time with my fellow IBers. As usual, it was a rewarding experience. I remembered once again how lucky I am to go to a school like DCDS, where academics rather than subsistence are the students only objective. I was reminded of my summer experience in Costa Rica, where students also came from poorer families. However, the most prominent parallel I drew from the two schools was the students’ ability to look past their struggles at home and enjoy their classmates and the learning experience. Knowing how much the kids enjoyed their time in school, I came prepared to Logan ready to make that school day even more special. I think this is my realization of learning outcome #7: recognizing the ethical implications of my actions. Volunteer time in Costa Rica and Logan has helped me understand that spending time with these kids is far more valuable than just buying them a gift or helping their financial situation. The experience is the most valuable thing I can offer them and that can only be done through volunteering.

We did some very cool activities with the kids this year. The IB group had to work together to assign ourselves to the large group of kids and efficiently (cleanly) get the projects done. The first two groups we worked with had young kids who needed a lot of direction to complete the project. However, the biggest challenge was the last group of kids, which consisted of second graders who spoke very little English. Before I knew it, I was busting out the Spanish I had practiced for four long weeks in Costa Rica!! I really achieved an understanding of learning outcome #8: developing new skills. I have just recently tried to improve my proficiency in speaking Spanish and I took advantage of this opportunity to do so.

I really enjoyed this Logan experience and am sad that this was my last time at the school. I hope that the younger grades understand the importance of volunteering their time with less fortunate kids and take full advantage of this rewarding experience.