I got up at 6 to go into DC for a meeting/retreat of this program I’m in- it’s called Learn Serve International’s Fellows Program, which guides students with the planning process for launching a social change venture. We did some ice breaking activities and some rather tense ones exploring power(step over the line if you are asian…if your parents are blue collar workers… if you were raised by a single parent…if you have a visible or invisible disability…if on one instance you were supposed to step over but didn’t…etc). It was surprisingly taxing emotionally. Then we had lunch and listened to a guest speaker, who started an organization promoting environmental activism.
At first I was going to not go, however was a good thing I went (despite all the homework waiting for me), because when I met and talked with with my partner for our supposed venture regarding bringing acceptance for LGBT people in our communities, we realized that it wasn’t the most phenomenal idea ATM…
Reasons- We can’t really easily “change people’s minds”; there isn’t a severe problem of harassment(it’s pretty liberal here already ^^); therefore there would be more effective aspects with more impact that we could focus on instead.
Initially I was deeply troubled, however I remembered my other idea regarding promoting math and science. My new goal is to cultivate interest in/passion for/exposure to science in elementary school students. With the budget cuts, many science labs in the curriculum have been cut and standardized test preparation has squeezed science in many areas into simple memorization of basic facts. Therefore, I would like to start small and expand to having organizations at several local or maybe even not (^^) high schools were some students visit their local elementary schools regularly with pre-made kits and instructions(or perhaps develop their own) and conduct activities with the students. = Hands on learning. This idea is feasible, needed, and backed by passion. And I have a really good feeling-versus a mushy soft tofu feeling- about this project. Anyone interested?
LSI Day Retreat
January 11, 2010 by clarance306soc
I already said it was a brilliant idea. I know a kid who’d be interested in participating. At the elementary school that’s closest to where you live, which should be pretty local, right? Right? xP
Looking forward to your ideas about specific activities … How long will it take to implement this?
Whoo yay! I wonder who that kid could be…
I don’t think it would take long, however I’m going in pace with the rest of the program and the program schedule. Since I don’t want to rush it, it would probably launch this april?
April doesn’t seem very far away, actually.
By the way: are those times on the comments real? (Were you actually up at 3 this morning? xP) Not trying to reprimand you about your sleeping habits — it just bothers me that I don’t know if the time on the comments are set to our time zone.