Thursday, November 18, 2010

Day 1 at the Boys and Girls Club

On Thursday Nov 11th, a group of eager volunteers with the Student Success Centre’s CSLN went to the Boys and Girls Club (BGC) in London to begin their Service Learning Experience of 2010/11.

Add ImageThe mission of all BGCs in Canada is to provide a safe, supportive place where children and youth can experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, build positive relationships and develop confidence and skills for life.

The facilities at the London club include a 25 meter competitive swimming pool complete with ramp, a spa, large gym offering extensive sports programs and leagues, rock wall climbing, large ball and foam rooms, craft room, three computer labs, small library, games room with air hockey, pool, pop-a-shot basketball, ping pong, small group games room, and Tween zone.
The Teen Zone (for youth 13 - 18) allows teens to come together in their own setting and includes: a computer lab, big screen TV, pool tables, crafts, X-box and other virtual entertainment systems.

After a ½ hour orientation involving an overview of the generally accepted volunteering principles at the BGC, we were split up into different rooms and oversaw the activities taking place there. The main role of volunteers at the BGC is to ensure that youth at the facility get the most out of their experience, while ensuring that a safe environment is maintained.

Student responses to our first volunteering experience at the BGC were overwhelmingly positive. First year student Michael Ding commented:

“… The opportunity to volunteer at the B&G Club has given me the chance to give back to society, and the smiles and laughter from every child in the B&G made me feel that my effort and time were all worth it.”

Reflection periods are increasing in popularity among service learning clubs and organizations as they have been shown to improve participant recognition of the value they have added to their community. At the BGC, particular emphasis was put on recognizing how children's perception of the community would change, and what kind of experiences would replace those they gain at the BGC if the club did not exist.

Overall, the CSLN's first exposure to the BGC was extremely rewarding and I personally cannot wait to get back.

- Robert Freele

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