I enrolled in a dual academic/service learning program through my provider ISA. This meant that I spent my time in Ireland taking classes at NUIG while also volunteering in the community. My service learning placement for the semester was with the Irish Girl Guides. Aside from the lack of cookie selling, (bummer, I know) the Irish Girl Guides are the equivalent to the Girl Scouts of America. They earn badges for tasks and camp just like the Girl Scouts do.
I had the honor of working with three different age groups of Girl Guides and each was a new and exciting experience. The Ladybirds were the youngest and obviously most adorable. They ranged in age from about 5 to 7 and were always a delight to be around. I would walk into Ladybirds and suddenly be caught in an intense game of hide and seek in which I would of course always join in. The Guides were the oldest group ranging from 10-13 and they were far less interested in games and would always want to know about my personal life or political views (both of which I side stepped and diverted as much as possible). My favorite time at Guides was when the girls put on an Irish heritage party where we ate traditional Irish food, learned to Irish dance and heard performances on the tin whistle. It was so great to see the girls showcase their culture and I loved every second of it. The Brownies were the most near and dear to my heart because I spent so much time with them. The girls ranged from 7-10 and loved everyday at Girl Guides. One of the things that made my experience so enjoyable was my Guide Leaders Catherine and Caroline. Catherine can only be described as an angelic real life Fairy Godmother. She cares so deeply for the girls and is a ray of sunshine and positive energy. I was so fortunate to work with both her and Caroline as they are both so dedicated to the organization and would do anything for the girls. At Brownies, I had the opportunity to run the Free Being Me badge. Free Being Me is a body positive, self confidence program designed to teach young girls to value their body for the amazing things it can do, not the way it looks. The girls were outraged when they learned about the photo shopping of models and celebrities in magazines. "But she looks great the way she is!" They would shout and anytime a girl would share something they were insecure about, the girls should rush to assure them of their worth and importance. I have never seen a group of girls more supportive of each other and I can only hope their comradery continues as they enter into secondary school. From doing Free Being Me I noticed that the way we talked to girls is often so appearance driven. I would catch myself calling a girl pretty instead of remarkable. I realized I should be complimenting these girls minds and not their outfits. This program taught me we need to take a look at how we women treat each other and foster the strength and independence we want to see in the girls of tomorrow. I was so fortunate to have such an amazing Service Learning experience. I loved participating in Service Learning because it connected me to the community I was living in and gave me an active role in bettering its future. If you ever get the chance to participate in Service Learning or volunteering abroad, take it. You will learn so much more about the community and its needs as well as yourself and your own personal areas of growth.
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AuthorI'm Angelisa. I am studying at NUI Galway for the semester and writing about my experience. Archives
June 2017
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