ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN - Colloquium Section: AL GARDNER

Includes students interested in volunteering activities (community service) service learning, and archival research/FIPSE grant concerning children directly or in agencies that serve children. While there are many opportunities to serve various agencies, and we will assist in locating such experiences for students, we have made commitments to the following. Students who choose to participate in these cites should understand that they need to attend the sessions on a regular basis until the semester or obligation to the organization is completed (whichever comes first).

A. For 1st and 2nd year Advocates:

1. Paint Branch Elementary School (helping with homework)
   Mon. & Thurs. (3:30-4:30 P.M.)
   Opposite campus, across route 1 (Transportation provided)
   Mrs. Bertha Stewart, Principal
   


2. Eastern Middle School (remedial work with students, ages 12-14)
   Saturday mornings (8:00-11:00 A.M.) Mont. Co. will provide trans.
   Mr. Carrasco, Principal
   

1. Children's Developmental Clinic
   Univ. of Maryland - North Gym
   Dr. Paul Hahn
   Saturday 8:30AM-12:30PM (Sept. 20- Nov. 5)
   Training on Sept. 6 and 13 (8:30-12:30)
   

B. For 2nd Year Advocates

FIPSE Grant - Archival research (original sources) on topics concerned with children and/or families. This is intended for students who will develop a research project and do some preliminary exploration before completing the project in the Spring 1998 semester. There also may be other opportunities for 2nd year students to pursue internships and do preliminary work before completing in the Spring 1998 semester.

• It is understood that students in any of the other 5 colloquia may also be involved in volunteer/service activities as part of their section or independently. Such persons will be given assistance by the staff of Advocates for Children.

1. What kinds of things do you think you can learn from this experience?
2. Describe your first day and the child you are working with?
3. What are some of the life experiences of the children that are different than your own? What is similar?
4. What are some of the bigger obstacles facing the children you are working with?
5. Describe how you think the children you work with see you, using their voice. Discuss how they might see you in terms of appearance, attitude, lifestyle, etc.
6. What is different about the way that you learn on a project like this and the way you learn writing a term paper?
7. What kinds of education, poverty, or developmental issues came up for you as you worked with the children?
8. What kinds of things did you do to build your relationship with the children, to encourage them to trust you, like you etc.?
9. What do you think the children are gaining from your hour with them? What are they learning from you?
10. Is tutoring the most effective way to help these children succeed in school? If you don't think so, what are better ways?

1125 Cumberland Hall University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742-9331