This document summarizes the author's experience volunteering at a community center that provides after-school programs and assistance to low-income families in a rural part of Florida. The author describes the demographics of the children served, which were primarily white students between ages 5-13 from low-income households, some with mental disabilities. During the volunteer event, the children learned about fire safety from visiting firefighters and got to explore a fire truck. The author reflects on how the experience changed their perspective on supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with special needs.

1. Educating the Community Chelsea Cosimini ccosimini@knights.ucf.edu April 23, 2010 EEX4070

2. The children that were being focused on in our group were from low income households that didn’t particularly hold education to a high standard. I didn’t really know what to expect as far as their behavior went, but I knew that these children were going to be deprived of necessities. I expected to feel sadness and a sense of sympathy for the children. Early Perceptions

3. Introduction to the Setting The building we visited is a part of the Help Agency of the Forest. The building itself is called Turning Point Mentor Center. The address of this building is: 9820 SE 190th Ave. Ocklawaha, FL 32179 This is close to 800 sq. ft. and is used as an after school program encouraging education. They help around 30 children on the average day, as well as help surrounding families with food to survive the weekend. It’s tucked away into the forest and can be difficult to locate if a GPS is unavailable.

4. Site/Community Demographics

5. My name is Chelsea Cosimini. I currently volunteer in a second grade classroom at Ward Highlands Elementary School. I have six siblings, so teaching comes as a natural instinct to me. I enjoy doing crafts, reading, watching movies, and anything involving the Gators. I’ve lived in Ocala, FL my entire life and love being surrounded by my family. Personal Demographics

6. I first thought to complete this project with this group because the owner of the center came and presented his situation to a former class of mine. He explained these children’s living conditions and problems they face on a daily basis. Some of the children have mental disabilities, however none of the facilitators could give an exact description of their disability. Developing a Plan

7. When we first arrived at Turning Point Mentor Center, we had the kids color a banner welcoming the firefighters. Our group also handed out coloring packets that gave the kids insight into what the firemen were coming to educate them on. Afterwards, the firefighters came and talked about fire safety with the kids. They also showed them their gear and tools they use when dealing with fires. Then everyone headed outside to gain a better understanding of both the fire truck and the paramedics vehicle. The kids really enjoyed getting to see the different parts of the truck, as well as getting to spray water from the fire hose. Engagement Activities

8. There were 28 children involved in this project. Of the 28, 5 of them had a mental disability. The facilitators of the center, however, could not give us a diagnosis for these 5 children. The majority of the children were white. Only one of the kids we served was racially different. The age of the children ranged from about 5 to 13, with most of the kids between 8 and 11. All of the children were from low income households. Participant Demographics

9. After helping these students, my outlook has completely changed on both students with disabilities, as well as students who live in extremely low incomes households. These students are typically the ones who are overlooked and seen as the trouble makers or slow ones, however they’re more in need of attention. They may experience more set backs in learning, but can learn just the same as everyone else with a little more effort from the advising adult or teacher. The event in our project that shed the most light on this was when the children were answering questions regarding safety as the firefighters spoke. Although the general population would know how to properly handle dangerous equipment (such as matches), these children saw these as everyday items that were around to play with. It’s easy to tell that these children (as well as their parents) will continue on with the same lifestyle until they realize that achievement in school must be made in order to get into the real working world. Reflection of your Experience

10. As a future teacher, I hope to make the biggest impact on children such as these. They’re in desperate need of encouragement from surrounding adults and supervisors. Addressing student’s needs (with both deprivation of necessities and disabilities) should be the most important aspect of teaching these children. If we can’t find a way to help them reach their highest potential, then we’re not doing our job as teachers.