Big Ass Reflection

(All the questions I should have been posting, posted at once. Enjoy ;) )

Work Collaboratively w/ others

Who influenced me most during this project? Why?

No one?

About girls in the group-

What was the relationship like in the beginning/middle/end of the project?

Last year I was taking on most of the responsibility in the beginning. Then Camila joined and it really helped out a lot and we even split responsibility on some projects. The next year she was too busy with other things but a whole group of young girls joined. They were full of energy, they help out a lot. Most of them just did extra stuff but by the end of the year some started taking leadership role.

How did you affect the relationship?

I affected them by being a leader and starting to delegate to share powers and keep the projects going. 

How did they show perseverance/commitment? If they did/didn't how did it make you feel?

Non of the older girls did, kinda frustrating. The younger girls did though, very motivating.

Looking back, what would you do to change the relationship? Or would you cultivate different relationships?

Would've liked more older kids to show effort or leadership role, to be honest

-learnt so much about being a leader and the connotations of bossiness and delegation

________

What CAS activities did I do outside my CAS project? Tell me about them and your role in them.

Basketball (player), surf, yoga, communal babysitting (babysitter), MUN at La Paz (planner, leader, coordinator, chair), cooking at risk management drug home (cook), Tennis marathon (volunteer), black and white party (volunteer), beach clean ups (volunteer), marine conservation (volunteer), sex trafficking work shop (volunteer).

How did these activities affect you? In what way?

Not a leader in- sex trafficking work shop, marine conservation, tennis marathon, black and white party, beach clean up. I think I'm a very good, diligent follower. Since I'm so used to being in the position of the leader and I know the struggles, when I'm not a leader I make sure to follow instructions and even notice and do the extra things the leader would want. I am able to have perspective in this position.

Were you the leader in any of these activities? If so, what did I learn from that role?

Yes, in most of them. I've always been the leader, and I've grown a lot as a leader. I used to take all the responsibilities and put a lot of pressure on my shoulders. As I grew older I realized this limited not only my potential but the potential of the events and activities. I started delegating, which at times is frustrating as obviously people have different ideas and a lot of people aren't willing to take on much responsibility. But I realized that you have to trust others sometimes and be okay with things not going your way, even as a leader, and it's difficult at first. Now I'm at the point where I've been a leader so much I try to find other people to be the leader. It's a lot of work but when it comes to volunteering I have no difficulty putting myself out there.

Did these activities teach you anything that carried over into your CAS project?

Of course. I learn and grow from every experience and this makes me change as a person, therefore change in my ways. 

_________

Idea of SERVICE

Did you tackle issues of global importance during your CAS project? If so, what issues?

Yes, yes, yes. Education for all! Education as a right! Education as the solution for change :)

What made this issue resonate with you? Why did it grab your attention?

I believe is justice and equality, and in the youth as our future and the possibility for change. Honestly, I just freakin' love helping causes and people, so anything in that realm is great and I think it's all good and it's all different ways to advocate for change. 

To be able to use my strengths to help others is just the best feeling in the world.

Site research that talks about this issue. What part are you playing in the solution?

http://www.ei-ie.org/en/websections/content_detail/5411

http://learningforpeace.unicef.org/resources/education-as-a-driver-for-peace-and-social-development/

I'm playing a part in the solution by raising money to pay for an education for children that don't have the means to.

What more could be done? How do you sustain/evolve your project to better combat the problem?

What more could be done is what my next step is…

What could be bettered is providing the necessary tools to get the full educational experience. For example providing healthy meals, making sure they are learning on a full stomach. Also, providing materials such as note books and pencils. This would be a very direct and feasible way of helping.

______

What did I do? What actions did I take to get to the final result? (Or almost final result?)

Well, there wasn't necessarily a final result as the idea was to keep this program implemented in our school's culture. But now, the final has become to redistribute where the money goes to be able to directly create a positive impact on the kids/students.

What did I find out about myself? (Strengths/interests/opposite of strengths & interests)

How did I motivate myself? Describe your internal conversation?

Okay, so I've been doing this since I was in like 7th grade? And originally my motivation was just liking to plan things! The fact that is was for a good cause was even more motivating, but I like that position of working under pressure, getting things done and doing everything possible in order to get it done. I like working hard and working for something. And then it became a habit, and I would just do it. And it finally got a point where I realized this and then I was a little unmotivated. I had been working so hard all this time that I was just doing it because I was used to it and not because I wanted to. 

So, that's why we came up with the new objective. I think in order for me to be motivated I need to be challenged and have a goal, I'm not so intrigued by routine. Spring break helped me clear up my head and I came back with a new goal and energy to go for it.

How do I feel about myself now that the class is almost over?

I feel that I need to hustle my freakin' butt off to get this done, but I'm excited, like I mentioned earlier- I like working under pressure. I feel that I have done a lot and I'm ready to step out of SSS's spotlight and go to help another cause. 

How will I use this knowledge about myself in upcoming years?

I will always work hard to help other people. I think I really learned that I always need to spice things up and create new goals in order to not get bored. 

_________

How did my 2 year CAS experience affect self, family, community & world?

Self- learned a lot about myself and gained A LOT of experience on how to work with other and get things done and basically anything on how to organize events and coordinate with others. Also, I learned about how I work, why I work etc. 

Family- My poor parents have had to drive me everywhere to help me get things done.

Community- General education

World- The idea of global importance of equal education for all

Did you meet your goal of engaging in real, purposeful activities with significant outcomes?

I think we're (generally speaking as a world) are far from achieving the goal of equal education for all, but it's a process and anything makes a difference at this point. I think what matters is that there's a movement and even if it doesn't get achieved, it's raising awareness. 

Friday- Human Trafficking Workshop

On Friday was a human trafficking workshop, collaborated between several organizations throughout Costa Rica with the help of several students (us), from Miss Amy's advisory. The preparation was the night before, rather brief but pretty straight forward. To be completely honest, I personally was not exactly sure what the outcome was going to be or what exactly I was going to be doing but I trusted everything would work out, which it did.
So, I was assigned arts and crafts with Omar and Sydney, which went really well. I understood the concept of the workshop- there was one serious discussion, a 4 step explanation and a Q&A, which are the two intense, informative stations, run by the psychologists and the people fro the organization. Then the rest of the stations, run by the students, were fun, distractions to make the whole workshop memorable. Therefore we didn't actually experience anything intense, which was actually a bit relieving. At times, the experts say, some kids could be a bit disturbed and this would show up in the art. But for the most part it was just for fun relating to the topic, so we had 5 trusted people.
The lower school workshop flew by. The three of us in crafts were in a motion, just going through groups 15 minutes at a time. Then, we went to the upper campus which was a little different. It was more of a conversation and a little bit more straight to the point; more about human trafficking than "good touch, bad touch". I was found in a group with some 6th-8th graders and it was a little difficult because they didn't understand the concept of human trafficking. I think this is really tough because you don't want to scare the kids, but the reality is scary. They asked me to tell them, so I briefly explained something not too scary and they were shocked but happy to know the truth.
Then there was a discussion with the older students (us) and that went really well. It was very interesting, we talked about all sorts of things- what causes human trafficking, how can it be stopped, etc.

Overall, the day was a success and there were really little to no obstacles. Don't worry, Miss Amy, it was great! 

Reflection 10/3/14

So, let's talk about the Valentine's Dance. It's taken me a while to update or reflect probably due to how the dance turned out, which was a little un-motivating. 

Friday, February the 14th SSS stayed after school and spent the whole afternoon decorating and preparing for the night. We made a photo booth, picture props, had pink and red balloons everywhere, etc. The DJ around a little after 7pm, and started playing music. Entrance was 2,500colones but we quickly changed to 2,000colones as no one had change. We were selling drinks instead of baked goods this time, which was a much better idea. We re-organized our chaperone set up from last time. This time we had two men at the entrance of the school, one by the bathroom and 3 women at the dance. It was more balanced and barely noticeable. 

The turn out was pretty good! I feel that there were more kids last dance but some say vice versa. 

The problem was we had underaged kids drinking, a lot of them. We didn't realize it was such an issue till one kid threw up and passed out. The director helped me and we called his mom to pick him up. But many kids drank, only he got caught. It was a little un-motivating as I am very calm and nice to them, I thought they would be more understanding but I know I shouldn't take it personally. 

Although, a lot of things went well, I think I've been slacking in SSS because my energy level has been very low and I've been in SSS since 8th grade. I have a big issue with organizing the financial aspect of the group. I cannot be and the leader and the treasurer, but no one is stepping up. For example I still haven't deposited the money from the dance, very irresponsible of me. I know I'm not putting in my maximum effort but I can't find the energy. I don't think it was really that big of a deal, it's just with the combination of my current mood that makes me feel a little apathetic. 

Luckily, as CAS comes to an end I'm starting to pass the project to other students. This week, the younger girls planned all by themselves a spirit week. I'm there for them to ask for advice and help organize their thoughts, but Martina specifically really stepped up and took leadership role. After this week we are going to do a group reflection so I can see how it went for them. I'm happy that they are willing to keep this project going, it's really apart of our school culture now.

My current goal is finding a treasurer that is committed, I'm asking around. I've made a spread sheet to be more organized. 

Beach Day Reflection 27/1/14

This past Saturday SSS had their first event of the trimester. We hosted a communal Beach Day. We had food for sale (lots- hotdogs, salads, cupcakes, drinks), lots of activities (slack line, capture the flag, etc.), we also had a DJ which really was the cherry on top. Overall it was a successful event, we had over 100 people attend and raised around $500. 

Now SSS has 3 parent volunteers, Natasha, Debi and Jamie and it's really helpful, this helps have direct contact with the parent community. They really help me organize my thoughts to share, because the way I plan is a lot in my head, which works but not for big projects that involve other people. I'm really thankful to be working with them. 

The planning was a little chaotic compared to other times. We had about 2 weeks to get all the food donations (most difficult to plan), games and details organized. We ended up with more than enough food but we really weren't sure what the outcome would be. Everything just kind of fell into place the day of. 

We had the 6th grade girls in charge of food, which is great but most of them didn't even attend the event. It would have been better with an older student in charge but there aren't any in SSS. I completely understand though, it takes getting used to. I plan on having a conversation with them about what went well and what didn't and what they could do next time. I'll also give tips. I think this event was a good challenge of working collaboratively with others. There was a combination of adults and younger students, two side of the spectrum. We all had different responsibilities and techniques.

Even though the planning was kind of hectic, everyone was very calm. I'm glad because I really think that when people start stressing it makes the situation worse. I'm used to things being all over the place, I think this is mainly because we rely so much on donations and volunteers. I know that it always works out though. 

Next time I would like there to be even more people, more teenagers from all over, the local community to the expats. I think this is completely feasible, we just need to advertise more.

Our next move is going to be Valentine's, we'll probably do a dance and candy grams. We've already done these, so they're easy to plan. I'm excited! 

Back Again...

This trimester we're continuing with SSS, with the same objective of having events/fundraisers to raise money for the scholarship program. 

There will be the expected Valentine's event and there was an idea of hosting a skate contest. This trimester we have 3 parent volunteers- Natasha, Debi and Jamie. This is really helping us stay on track and helps us reach out to the parent community. 

My goal for this trimester is the same as last, to delegate more and share the leadership role. I'm slowly disintegrating myself. Personally, SSS isn't difficult for me to handle at all. It's easy for me to organize and have the events but mostly I'm just kind of tired. Tired of the same things happening- lack of support, or certain reactions or blah blah. I feel kind of unmotivated, about school in general, but it is what it is and it's my responsibility so here I am trudging through day to day. I'm not really sure what's keeping me going at this point. 

That aside I hope to raise a good, certain amount of money (still undecided). 

In last Thursday's meeting we spoke about potential events for this trimester. We came up with a few. Then we started getting into the specifics of our first event, a beach day with a "snow day" theme. We will raise money through a BBQ, a percentage of surf lessons and activities. Hopefully this can be a fun communal activity which everyone attends. 

Below is the list of events (hopefully have more, but here are the realistic expectations):

January Saturday 25th- Beach Day

(BBQ, music, surf lessons, activities) 

February Friday 14th- Valentine's Dance and Candy Grams

Undecided but definitely an activity in March- Skate contest

NOT SOS BUT SSS

Group of students aren't calling SOS but they are calling themselves SSS and still need support. SSS, acronym for Students Sponsoring Students is a student managed group which plans events and activities to raise money for the La Paz scholarship program. The events range from school dances, to Halloween events, to beach get-togethers, to camps, to any other activity that is feasible in the warm, beautiful area of North-Western Costa Rica's Guanacaste. 

All students interested are allowed to join and participate in SSS. The current group is all girls and ranges from ages 11 to 17. Together they collaborate to plan events in which the community can enjoy while raising funds, sometimes up to thousands of dollars. 100% of the proceeds go to the scholarship program, all these girls are volunteering their time and energy to this good cause. 

So far this school year of 2013-2014, in the first trimester only SSS has hosted a Homecoming Under The Sea themed dance, a huge Halloween Party which invites the whole community, and a BBQ. Having raised already almost up to $2,000 in the first trimester, SSS looks forward to planning other activities in the coming trimesters. Coming up will be events such as a movie marathon, a neon dance, Valentine's candy grams and other activities to look forward to. 

Make sure that when you have the opportunity you contribute to the event, either by simply showing up and showing support or getting involved in the organization or donations. 

Halloween Reflection (TMI)

So the Halloween party overall was a success, we raised $1,300 in 2 hours and lots of people showed up.
Working with the rest of SSS went super well, I did a good job delegating, I had nothing to do with the Haunted House and was mostly taking care of the food sale and a little bit of the gym. But I didn't have to do everyone's job and I super happy for that. There's a really reliable, committed crew in SSS now and it makes being able to plan bigger event more possibly and easier. And the cleaning up, too, although many people left as usual we had a strong group of 15 maybe, that stayed and helped clean the whole campus up. So clean to the point where we got e-mails saying the campus was cleaner than before.

During our SSS meetings we were super diligent, we got everything done to the point where we didn't have much to talk about near the end and we were just waiting for the night of. We had divided the work and created the spreadsheet for the adults to sign up on, which was super practical. I'd definitely use Google Docs again. 

To improve the event I'd say we could have made a Facebook event to see how many people were supposed to come to measure the amount of food needed, but again this is something that you never really know to till the event. We had lots of left overs for food, but re-used it at an event the following week so nothing went to waste.  

As for leadership skills, it comes naturally. But I've noticed I'm making an effort to have others stand up and be leaders-- leading the meetings, making decisions. I'm doing this because I know I have to pass the project on eventually. Also, I realized I'm very self-conscious of being too bossy, I think this is because of my personality. I'm a natural leader but I'm also naturally very caring for others and so I get worried that I bother another, or make them do too much work, which is probably why I used to do all the work. (UGH, that's a lot of talking about me, definitely stepping outside my comfort zone right now, Miss Amy…This is making me self-conscious too…)

As usual, I don't give myself much credit, so at the beginning I wasn't completely satisfied, because in my head I could've done this and this and this better, but then I realized that was dumb and it was successful. I received lots of compliments on the event and SSS, and even two personal thank you e-mails which were very sweet but I didn't think I deserved them. 

So, there's my super, extra personal reflection. Took a while to get it out of me…I still feel weird about it. Okay...