SPAN 301S: SERVICE LEARNING IN THE LATINO COMMUNITY
Course Description
This course is part of your Spanish language learning experience, and offers you the opportunity to interact in a personal way with members of the local Latino community, thereby enriching your understanding of Hispanic cultures and the Spanish language. As a community-based learning experience, the course provides students with career-related experience working collaboratively with community agencies to address community concerns/issues.
Course Description
This course is part of your Spanish language learning experience, and offers you the opportunity to interact in a personal way with members of the local Latino community, thereby enriching your understanding of Hispanic cultures and the Spanish language. As a community-based learning experience, the course provides students with career-related experience working collaboratively with community agencies to address community concerns/issues.
Course Narrative
Throughout my service learning experience, I learned that my community has a big need for positive role models for the youth. I observed that young boys specially, have a disinterest for their education and have no interest in attending a four-year university. Therefore, as I completed my service at Ceiba College Preparatory School, I not only helped the students with their Spanish literacy skills, but also encouraged them to pursue a higher education, whether it was a community college or a four-year university.
I now feel that by having completed my service at this school, I have more compassion for the needs of my community, especially for students who have no interest in obtaining a higher education or they believe they cannot afford going to college. Also, I have always believed that it is a social responsibility to give service to those in need. This Service Learning course to me was more than just a graduation requirement or community service hours, it was an opportunity for me to apply what I had learned in the classroom and put it into practice; which is the true meaning of possessing a superior education. Furthermore, by doing my service at this school, I learned that I have served justice to those who have been oppressed or have ever felt discriminated against due to their the age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, etc. and due to that have not received the necessary academic attention, especially guidance for college. Finally, I also learned that diversity is not so noticeable in our community, due to that fact that the population in Watsonville, CA is nearly 80% Latino. Due to this factor, most of the cultural and linguistic traits of Latinos are being preserved; the Spanish language is spoken in most of town and the cultural events such as Mexican Independence Day is celebrated.
Through this course I was not only able participate with my community, but also it helped me to gain more language skills and cultural knowledge. The many different essays reflecting on articles allowed me to expand my vocabulary and writing skills in Spanish. For example, the essay reflecting on our language abilities and how it has changed over time, helped me reflect on how my bilingualism skills have improved within the years. The oral presentations and debates allowed me to expand my oral and public speaking skills in the Spanish language. In the debate, I was able to do research in the topic of ethnic studies and prepare and present the information to the class.These kind of activities were the most important for my growth in linguistic skills and cultural knowledge.
Throughout my service learning experience, I learned that my community has a big need for positive role models for the youth. I observed that young boys specially, have a disinterest for their education and have no interest in attending a four-year university. Therefore, as I completed my service at Ceiba College Preparatory School, I not only helped the students with their Spanish literacy skills, but also encouraged them to pursue a higher education, whether it was a community college or a four-year university.
I now feel that by having completed my service at this school, I have more compassion for the needs of my community, especially for students who have no interest in obtaining a higher education or they believe they cannot afford going to college. Also, I have always believed that it is a social responsibility to give service to those in need. This Service Learning course to me was more than just a graduation requirement or community service hours, it was an opportunity for me to apply what I had learned in the classroom and put it into practice; which is the true meaning of possessing a superior education. Furthermore, by doing my service at this school, I learned that I have served justice to those who have been oppressed or have ever felt discriminated against due to their the age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, etc. and due to that have not received the necessary academic attention, especially guidance for college. Finally, I also learned that diversity is not so noticeable in our community, due to that fact that the population in Watsonville, CA is nearly 80% Latino. Due to this factor, most of the cultural and linguistic traits of Latinos are being preserved; the Spanish language is spoken in most of town and the cultural events such as Mexican Independence Day is celebrated.
Through this course I was not only able participate with my community, but also it helped me to gain more language skills and cultural knowledge. The many different essays reflecting on articles allowed me to expand my vocabulary and writing skills in Spanish. For example, the essay reflecting on our language abilities and how it has changed over time, helped me reflect on how my bilingualism skills have improved within the years. The oral presentations and debates allowed me to expand my oral and public speaking skills in the Spanish language. In the debate, I was able to do research in the topic of ethnic studies and prepare and present the information to the class.These kind of activities were the most important for my growth in linguistic skills and cultural knowledge.