Alma students draw with the children in the after school program on a large piece of paper.
Early in the morning, we went to Norris Square Neighborhood Project. The organization has inspired many children in the local area and assisted in many gardens and murals. Ricardo Martino, from N.S.C.C., began his volunteer work here. At Norris Square, Ricardo introduced us to Iris Brown. An amazing person, Iris told us about living it Puerto Rico and the begining of the projects. She had a lot to say about the power of community. Iris Brown is one of three people from the United States to receive the Terre De Femmes award in France for her contributions to the environment and culture.
Ricardo also took us on a tour around North Philly. We visited Norris Park. In the 70's, this park had a fountain that drug users used to clean their needles. A teacher nearby had her students organized and attempt to destoy it. The city reacted by taking it down. This symbolizes the power students can have in a community. Now, there is a playground where that foundtain stood. After the park, we walked around north Philly and observed many small gardents and murals. They were magnificent. We also saw a few areas where Rocky was filmed, including the boxing gym and the pet store.
As we walked through North Philly, we visited Hunter Elementary School. In an impowerment zone, the school received a lot of money from the city. Ths school had smart boards (computerized boards used for teaching assistance) and K12 curriculum equipment in every room. Many of the classes in this school were Bilingual. The school was gigantic. While observing an art class watching a fairy tale on the smart board, Tim Chairez (Class of '08) commented, "If school were a movie, I'd watch it all day." The school also had a percussion music program and we met the teacher. The technology and facilities this school had was unbelievable compared to small, overcrowded Sheridan.
After touring Hunter Elementary, we went to Sheridan Elementary to assist in the after school program. We helped with homework, played Connect Four and Legos, and socialized with kids.
At 6:30 p.m., we went to Temple University and participated in a discussion with the students about Service Learning. The teacher, Michelle Loucas, works for NeedsInDeeds and teaches this class. With the class, we talked a lot about teaching programs and the importance of service. We gained a lot through our discussions with the students at Temple and they learned a lot about us.
Everyone enjoyed pizza and pop at Temple before returning to the Hostel. At the hostel, we relaxed. Some people watched Rocky, played Uno, and slept. It was a very long day.
