YMCA Finale

I had never heard of a service learning project before taking this class. I had to look up what it was on the internet, and what I found didn't make me too happy. It said I would be doing volunteer work and should be learning something from the experience. I'm not a big fan of volunteering because when I had to volunteer before, it just seemed like free labor. But, I figured I'd give it a try and see what happens. I ended up volunteering at the YMCA in Stevens Point with their Family Prime Time program.
The first impression I got from the staff at the Y was that they really enjoyed their jobs and wanted me to enjoy volunteering and not feel like free labor. I got to work with the weight trainer who works with the kids. She showed me what I would be doing, and I started to open up a little bit more to the idea of service learning as something I would like doing, not just something I had to do for a grade. Over the next weeks as I got more comfortable with the idea of volunteering, I actually began looking forward to Mondays (that was the day of the week I went to the Y) because I enjoyed working with the kids and also liked showing them how to use the exercise equipment.
Some things I learned over the course of the weeks are patience, the power of explanation and how much kids can accurately remember. I have five younger siblings, one brother and four sisters, and it usually doesn't require a significant amount of patience to explain something to them. The kids at the YMCA were a little different. Some of them simply would not listen, and I got sick of explaining it to them, so I can imagine how they felt. One kid told me exactly what was up. He told me I explained it weird, and told me how I should explain it. After taking his advice, I got through to the kids. So, I guess I also learned humility.
I didn't really have any issues or problems with the service learning project other than the hours that I worked there; it was hard to squeeze in between school, work, and intramurals. I really enjoyed my service learning experience, and my opinion about volunteering has changed also. I no longer see volunteering as free labor, but as a way to actually help the community at large, but is especially rewarding to see the impact volunteering makes on an individual.