- Mini Break
- Independent Volunteer Project
- Your overall class experience
- How you envision your break going
- Suggestions for sites or issues Alternative Breaks should be involved with in the future
- More thoughts on one of our speakers from a past class
As always, blogs should be 300 words long and posted by 5 pm Sunday for full credit.
Our alternative break group went to Kaleidoscope in Crown Center for our Weekend Break. Kaleidoscope is probably better than Disney World. I’m not exaggerating. When kids first walk through the magical entrance archway, they are greeted by a sparkling, vibrantly colored wonderland packed full of art supplies. They can wander through the blacklight room to paint with melted wax and draw on the walls in fiber optics. They can also make there way over to the puzzle-making machine which cranks out hand-colored puzzles with the slight turn of a wheel. Another eternally crowded area is the water painting room where kids can send their sloppy wet creations through a dryer that is basically a giant craft-cooking oven. The kids expressions are priceless through the entire duration of their Kaleidoscope session. Their eyes bulge out of their heads and their little light-up shoes are constantly ablaze as they sprint from one excitement to the next. Kaleidoscope fosters creativity in the minds of each child that enters their doors. Each table, crammed full of art supplies, is a cocoon that is just waiting to explode into a butterfly. As volunteers, we didn’t have to do much. The kids’ imaginations keep them busy the entire time they are there. Our job is mostly just to admire and compliment their skills. I loved seeing how families interact in this environment. Unlike taking your kids to the movie theater, Kaleidoscope offers a chance for a parent and child to truly collaborate, interact and create something together. It is fun to see imaginations of 5 year olds and 50 year olds run wild, with no mom worrying about glitter glue getting on the carpet or dad worrying about missing the football game. It is a creative haven, safe from life’s nagging concerns, where children and adults can channel their inner artist and simply enjoy themselves.
ReplyDelete-Hannah Duff
After I found out I was accepted into the Alternative Breaks Program, I really didn’t know what to expect from the class. I was very pleasantly surprised however once we had our fist guest speaker. I really enjoyed the presentations because I was given the opportunity to learn about many different fields and volunteer programs in the Lawrence area. I liked that I was able to learn a little bit about each person’s alternative break site, and find out about what kinds of things they would be dealing with over their breaks. Overall, the class was a very positive and enriching experience for me, and hearing from guest speakers gave me a great new perspective on a lot of topics I was not very well educated about before. This was also a completely different learning style for me because typically there is only one teacher who teaches the class material. One of the best parts about class though was the group time. I have not gone on my break yet, but I am already fairly comfortable with my group and am looking forward to camping and farming with each and every one of them.
ReplyDeleteI also learned a lot about what to expect on my trip to Three Springs Farm in Carlisle, Kentucky. I am envisioning a very typical southern farming experience, because we will be camping out under the stars, milking cows and goats at 8am every morning, and even learning to play the banjo around a bonfire. The Sunday after we arrive we will be attending a bluegrass festival. These are all things I have never experienced before in my life; I’ve never even been camping! I believe that since this will also be challenging for me it will bring me closer to my group which I also look forward too. So I am greatly looking forward to my alternative spring break trip and have high hopes that it will be a more than amazing experience.
-Janani Ganta
This past weekend on our mini break to the Thellman’s organic farm in north Lawrence, I felt very exposed to the kind of work we will be doing over the break at Johnson’s Backyard. This weekend we spent only 3 hours weeding a small portion of the farm which was very gratifying, albeit laborious work. After working with the plants, Nancy Thellman was kind enough to show us her entire layout which included roosters, hens and pygmy goats on about 10 acres. Due to an environmental studies class I am currently taking, I have been thinking a lot about sustainability and the ability to remain close to your environment. This experience has already taught me quite a bit about both. Austin, Texas is a city that is well-supplied by large local organic farms and this is a direction Lawrence is trying to take. There are several organic and family run farms north of town which supply markets such as the Merc and the farmers market. Free State Brewery even uses hops for their signature beer grown on many of these local farms. With such lush soil and growing conditions, it is exciting to see Lawrence turning towards its roots and working to be a sufficiently self sustaining town. It is a goal here to find some of the success that Austin has found in supplying their inhabitants with fresh local food. It is for this reason that I really look forward to the break; I want to learn about the pinnacle of the organic industry and about different ways we can learn to use the land around us to produce fresh food. While I was in France I had a severe cold with congestion, so my host mother offered me fresh honey she cultivated just down the road. That honey, a natural substance made from the pollen of the surrounding plants and organisms, suppressed my cold more than any drug I have ever tried. In getting closer to our food, our environment and the biodiversity surrounding us, I believe we gain more control over our bodies and our nutrition. This is an aspect of local agriculture I hope to learn about on the trip, while definitely getting a great workout all day in the Texan sun.
ReplyDeleteIn the last six weeks, the experience of being a participant of Alternative Breaks has been fantastic. Through the weekly guest speakers to the logistical organization of the trip itself; Alternative Breaks has been a wonderful experience. My hopes for the upcoming trip are only that much better! The opportunities that alternative breaks offers have allowed not only me, but my entire group to grow, and learn about how we can volunteer and help in our local community. I know this progress will only carry over into our trip to the autism society in Colorado.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite aspects thus far of alternative breaks was the wonderful speakers that attended our weekly meetings. These individuals are extremely busy, but were willing to take the time to talk and discuss with us about some very important social issues. Also, they provided some very clear and concise information about these issues that are extremely prevalent in our society today. Their presence was also great because it offered us, as students, the opportunity to learn more about these issues that affect us directly.
Such information has also paved the way for our many wonderful trips during spring break. These speakers served to make me a more informed and prepared volunteer as I head to Colorado. With this knowledge, I feel that my group has a better understanding of what will be our impact through this trip. While I am unsure of the exact work we will do while in Colorado, I believe it will be a profound learning experience for all of us.
While Alternative Breaks is an opportunity to let college students volunteer throughout our society and nation; I also believe it is a fantastic learning and growth experience for us as students. These individuals that are accepting us into their homes and places of work are truly the ones making the change, by educating individuals such as us spring breakers.
For my group’s mini-break we spent three hours at Prairie Moon Waldorf School. The philosophy at Prairie Mon is unique to the Waldorf school methods. Rather than a standardized education children interacted with their environment to discover and learn with minimal guidance. We arrived on their season work day to help prepare their playground, or perhaps I should say playfield because that would describe it better. The seasonally work day is a day where the parents come with the students on a Saturday to take part in the educational environment. The playground consisted of a tree hut, a wooden playground set, and a huge open field. We began with spreading all new mulch under the playground to give it a clean, crisp look then found other tasks separately to do. Cleaning the huge field of twigs, organizing closets, cleaning, and cutting sheets of paper for art projects keep us really busy. We found time, however, to explore the school and interact with the students at the work day. Getting involved in their work day was a great way to explore an alternative method of education than what most of us where used to.
ReplyDeleteOverall I feel that the alternative break experience thus far has been incredible. I had no idea what to expect for the weekly meetings and was pleasantly surprised at the depth and variety of speakers that came to talk to us. I have become so much more aware of community needs and ways to reach out through this program. For example, before this class I had no idea what the Douglas County Aids Program was. Now I not only know what their organization does but also services provided and ways to volunteer. I can’t wait for the actual break itself. We leave for Chicago tomorrow morning. Sitting here packing I find myself wondering what the teacher and students will be like that I’m teaching. No matter what it will be an experience I reflect fondly upon and would recommend the program to anyone who wants to be a part of something bigger than themselves and really make an impact. I hope that in future years more people will know about the program and apply so that it grows and we can make even bigger differences.
-Kaitlynn Nelson
So in less then 6 hours, I will be on the road for my break to South Carolina to work at the school for the Deaf and Blind. So much packing and stuff left to do, not to mention try to sleep.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting so nervous and excited for my trip. I can't believe it is already here. I am a speech language hearing science major and this is why I picked this trip. I've been excited for it since November so it's crazy to think it is happening.
I consider myself a pretty outgoing person who loves to try new things but this is something very new to me. I know that I will be able to learn so much from this trip and enjoy it, but that first day is always so awkward for me. Especially in a class room setting, which will be where I am. Oh the first day, something I am very nervous for. At the same time, I am bursting with excitement! I want to just get there and go! Too bad I have a 16 hour car drive waiting for me tomorrow...
I don't specifically know what to expect on this trip. I would really like to work with deaf elementary students but I am willing to be flexible. I think I am doing audiology once I get to grad school. I know this alternative break is something I will really take to heart. I'm excited to get to know the girls traveling with me as well. I know this will be a totally different week for me. I know that I will learn new things and hopefully get to leave an impression on some kids. I know they will for me. I'm just so glad it is FINALLY here!
-Nicole Denney
Last weekend, our Teach For America group took our mini break to Prairie Moon School. Prairie Moon is a Waldorf school, where children experience things first and then learn about them later. It was quite different than regular elementary school. The school was situated in an old school house and there were 3 or 4 classrooms and a stage. We visited on a work day, where everyone was cleaning up the school and getting ready for springtime. Personally, I helped other people in my group mulch a playground. I also cut big pieces of paper and picked up sticks outside the school. I know other people cleaned windows and organized closets and other miscellaneous activities outside. I really enjoyed working at the school. I had heard of Waldorf living, but seeing the kids playing outside and loving their school was really cool to experience. All of the kids liked playing outside, like swinging and playing soccer. I've become accustomed to seeing little kids on the computer or in front of the TV, so this was awesome to know that kids still love to be outside.
ReplyDeleteSoon, I'll be headed with my Teach for America group to Chicago. I'm really excited! The Alternative Breaks class each Thursday has slowly gotten me more and more excited to go on this trip, and now that the day is finally here, I don't know what to do with myself while I wait to get to the bus stop. Not only am I excited to interact with TFA teachers and children, but I am also happy that I got to be part of such a cool group of people. And not even just my TFA group, but everyone involved in Alternative Breaks. This is definitely an experience I will be wanting to repeat in the near future.
-Megan Carr
With the Music Therapy groups’ schedules, there was no time for us to all get together to have a mini-break. Most of the group, since they are going to be in the car for 14 hours, has decided to do some preparations and have bonding time together. However, I am going to be traveling separately from the rest of my group, so I don’t get to be involved in that aspect. My contribution was creating visual aids to use in our music therapy sessions. I spent a few hours searching for songs, pictures, ideas, crafts, etc. that would be all age level appropriate (from 6 months to 6 years). I was given specific themes each age group utilized and came up with some music therapy ideas and songs.
ReplyDeleteRecently, I spent two days coloring, cutting out, laminating, and creating visual aids that will help the clients reach desired non-musical goals and objectives. It was very much a music therapist thing to do by myself. These visual aids will come in handy when I work with this population after graduating next year, so it was definitely worth the long hours and time commitment. I would have liked to have a chance to get to know my group members better, but due to my alternate travel plans, that just was not in the cards for this trip.
I don’t know exactly what my group members are going to be doing as they did not include me on their “in the car” plans. I hope they end up being productive and not just goof off in the car. I also hope that I didn’t do all of the work by creating these visuals and coming up with ideas for songs.
Overall, no offense, I have not enjoyed my experiences with the alternative spring break program. Hopefully the trip itself will make up for some of the hassles and frustrations, so I am keeping an open mind and will make sure that I find some enjoyable aspects of this trip. I know after this trip I will have networked and gotten a music therapy contact out of this that could potentially help me with my internship search this summer.
~Rebecca Faulkner
My group, the Mid-South Center for Peace and Justice, went to Jubilee Café for our mini break. I have always wanted to volunteer there but have never gotten the chance. I have done community service in many different areas. I have worked with people with disabilities, children, elderly and people in poverty but I have never had the opportunity to work with the homeless. I didn’t really know what to expect from the experience. Our day started at five o clock in the morning, when it was still dark out. When we arrived at the church our group helped make the breakfast that was going to be served later in the morning. I had fun listening to music and bonding with my group while making biscuits. Once we were done making the food, it was time to serve the food.
ReplyDeleteJubilee Café is unique from other food kitchens because the volunteers serve the food as if they were at a restaurant, instead of in a buffet line. Many times people who are homeless are not respected or even treated like humans by other people. Even walking down on mass street, you can witness that people are either rude to or ignore people that are homeless as they walk by. Jubilee Café gives these people a way relax and enjoy a hot meal in friendly atmosphere. When I was serving the food I took the time to talk to the people I was serving. We got into conversations about school, KU basketball, and our favorite books. I think that every University of Kansas student should volunteer at Jubilee Café at least once in his or her college experience. When students and other members of the community get to know people who are homeless at a more personal level the stigma of homelessness will decrease. People will no longer characterize homeless people as being lazy or drunks because they will see that the stereotypes are not true when they talk to them.
-Anne Salvato
While I had been looking forward to participating in Alternative Breaks since I heard about the program in high school, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I’ve really been surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed the guest speakers, planning the trip with my group, and getting to know the other group members. The program is just the right length and intensity and the class credit option truly make it worth the time. Our group is leaving this morning and has planned quite a few activities for the ride; everyone made a mix cd for the nine hour drive and we came up with ideas for car games during the last class.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most enjoyable parts of the Alternative Break experience was the Mini Break. Our group attended Jubilee Café early one Friday morning. I had never been before, but was immediately astonished by the compassion and hard work shown by all the volunteers. Most were college students awake at 5am simply to do volunteer work. We were kept busy making eggs, pancakes, hash browns, and various other breakfast foods, all while getting to know our group members better and helping out in the Lawrence community.
I envision our group’s time at the Mid-South Center for Peace and Justice going well; the weather is supposed to be warm and sunny, we have a lot of work to keep us busy, and there is another group from the University of Illinois attending in addition to ours. It will be an interesting experience to live in a church and cooperatively cook for a week, as well as get to know the people of the Mid-South Center and Memphis. I have never intensely gardened before, so I will be learning a new skill.
I have yet to attend my trip, but am already looking forward to doing another Alternative Break next school year and becoming more involved in the program.
Colorado Trip
ReplyDeleteThis is the first day in and Colorado has been beautiful the whole time. The drive was long, about nine hours, but well worth the squeezing. We are staying at a local church in which we have encountered some interesting cultures already! We saw a Hindu religion worshiping and Methodist church this morning. Today we traveled to the University of Denver and did some comparing between schools. Their union is really cool (not as pretty as ours) and they have a bar inside where you can play pool, bowl, and drink. We checked out the rest of campus, it is really amazing. The buildings are fairly new and modern. From what I can tell, a lot of the city is fairly comfortable money wise and there is not a lot of originality or history in the houses across town. Overall my view of Colorado is great! During the trip we already went to the grocery store and got some valuable bonding time in with the group! We managed to only spend 100 dollars and calculated the cheapest and most efficient buying. This is a friendly place and it has beautiful mountains! I am looking forward to working with the Autistic children tomorrow. We are possibly going to check out the Real World house and fantasize being famous.
As I am in the journalism department, a few things I have noticed is that Dr. Pepper 10, which is doing a test market, is not marketing in Colorado. This could mean that Colorado is more liberal and open than other areas such as Kansas in the Midwest. The other thing that I picked up on, is that there is not very many Wal-Marts, just one, and the locals that we asked didn’t know where it was.
Sitting here at the local Panera (which has a drive through!), enjoying this beautiful weather and the view of the mountains off in the distance!
Kelsey Connolly
Colorado Trip
ReplyDeleteAt first I was excited to hear about the Alternative breaks program, but also nervous about how it would turn out and what group I would get with. As of now I have learned so much about the diversity in our world that I think everyone should have a general knowledge about. My group ended up being seven girls and we all get along really well. For our mini break we volunteered at the local soup kitchen in Lawrence. It was interesting to do this for me because I have never done something like that before. We organized all the tables, cooked food, and served them just like as if they were in a restaurant. They were allowed double servings and multiple drinks which surprised me. The main volunteers at the place told us that there is usually more people there than what they had the morning that we went. After they were done eating some would stay and talk and others would just leave. I talked with a nice lady about what good stores are out there and how she lived or what she did day to day, but she was more interested in asking questions about me. And actually, the other day I saw her on Mass street and she said hello. Even that much makes a big difference and it made my day. Overall the experience was wonderful, we cleaned up afterwards and wrote down volunteer hours. It is just interesting to me that that many people showed up (about 50) and they said that was a LOW number! I am shocked that there is so many homeless around the area. I also learned that Panera gives all of their extra bread at the end of the day to this shelter. If you want to go volunteer, you should! It is usually during Tuesday and Friday mornings and the Jubillee café!
Kelsey Connolly
The overall class experience for me was really awesome. I think the most interesting and inspirational speakers we had come to the class were Jim Sherman and Jan Sheldon from the Applied Behavioral Science Department and Olivia Burchett from DCAP. These two presentations had the most influence on me to want to go and be a part of these populations of people. I love anytime I can feel more connected to the Lawrence community and I feel like these classes are the perfect opportunity for that connection to be made. I think it would have been very interesting to have Marcia Epstein from Headquarters the suicide hotline come in and present during a future alternative break class. She could discuss so helpful tips on listening to others and just general communication as well as present a little bit about Headquarters and what it is all about.
ReplyDeleteAnother very beneficial component I learned through the class was how to work in groups. I always think about that one class and the recording we listened to whenever I am working in a group. For me, this current academic semester it seems all I have been doing is working in groups. I learned that you don’t want to be that one slacker and you become that by just the simplest of attitudes. In a group it is all about the way you project yourself and also how you react to those around you. Currently, I am on my break and I know one of the reasons we are working so awesome together is due to our flexibility.
Shayna Sheridan
For our mini-break we visited the Prairie Moon Waldorf Elementary School in North Lawrence. It was an experience that greatly enhanced our group cohesion and I think it will really add to the experience of the actual break. I was in charge of planning the mini break experience and chose Prairie Moon for its alternative educational philosophies. Waldorf schools do not follow typical “lesson plans”, rather they encourage each student to learn by doing. Math lessons are conducted by measuring various ingredients while helping to make lunch and science lessons are conducted outside. I thought it would be beneficial for the group to get experience working in conditions that are different than the typical school setting, which I think will serve everyone well once we get into the charters schools. My favorite part of the mini break was being able to work alongside teachers, parents and even the children during the community workday. We assisted in maintenance jobs such as window washing, cleaning classrooms and moving mulch. Some of the tasks were a bit labor-intensive but it was well worth it to know how much help we were providing. There is also something very rewarding about exploring other areas within Lawrence that are so far removed from the KU Campus, I think it is incredibly important to maintain close ties between the KU students and surrounding community organizations.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the class as a whole is concerned, I have had a wonderful experience. I really enjoyed the wide range of speakers that were each relevant to a different topic associated with one of the trips. I especially enjoyed the Urban Agriculture speaker because it pertained to my major the most and was an interesting adaptation to traditional farming methods. I am so thrilled that I have been able to focus on a class aimed at community service and social issues. I think that classes such as this make a well-rounded college experience because I have learned much more from this experience than I have in several of my college level courses.
p.s. Im sorry this is late we don't have internet connections at our church!!
For our mini-break, we went to Jubilee Cafe. Unfortunately, three people from our group couldn't make it, so we couldn't bond as a whole group, but it was still a wonderful experience. I have been to Jubilee before, but for most of the other group members this was a first-time experience, and everyone said they had enjoyed themselves and were glad they had come. We were separated and each given a different task to prepare breakfast for the homeless population of Lawrence, so group bonding was minimized a bit, but it wasn't much of an issue. A few of us helped cook breakfast while the others set up the tables and chairs. Each of us got to serve a table, which meant having the opportunity to interact with the people we were serving. Talking with the men and women as they eat is always an interesting an eye-opening experience, because they all have such interesting lives and perspectives. I particularly enjoyed my Jubilee Cafe experience when I was with my alternative breaks group because the men at my table were particularly talkative, and I heard plenty of fascinating stories. Another person in my group got to have a conversation with a man in chain mail who claimed to have the power to be in two places at once and was in fact fighting a dragon while he was talking to her. After we left, we had great conversation about the morning and the people we had served. It was a wonderful way to de-brief and reflect on the experience. My only regret was that we couldn't do more together as a group in order to get to know each other more and bond through volunteer work. I am so grateful my group was willing to wake up much earlier than normal on a Friday morning in order to volunteer, and I'm so glad they enjoyed the experience and weren't grumpy with me for planning a break that required such an early wake-up.
ReplyDelete