Working at an Education Nonprofit
DONE BY: Hannah | Chicagoland Jewish High School 2015 | University of Chicago
HOW OPPORTUNITY WAS FOUND: My boyfriend also did it
LENGTH: 10 months
LOCATION: 28 sites across the United States
FUN: ★★★★☆
PERSONAL GROWTH: ★★★★★
KIND OF PERSONAL GROWTH MOST EXPERIENCED: Gained perspective
DAY-TO-DAY LIFE:
- 5:45am: wake up
- 6:00am: leave for school
- 7:15am: arrive at school
- 7:30am: greet students arriving for school
- 8:00am: whole class support in 4th grade math class
- 9:00am: leading 30 minute small group tutoring session, (this structure repeats 4 times per day)
- 12:00pm: work with students on social emotional skills during lunch
- 3:30pm: help students with homework and activities after school
- 4:30pm: plan for the following day
- 5:30pm: leave school.
DESCRIPTION OF WORK/ACTIVITIES DONE:
Working with underserved middle school students to improve on academics, behavior, and attendance.
HOW MANY HOURS OF WORK DID YOU DO PER WEEK? 45-50
IN EXCHANGE OF WORK, PROVIDES:
- Free bus pass
- Uniform
- Living stipend of about $1000 a month
TOP TIPS:
It's hard but it's incredibly rewarding and going through this makes college so easy.
MOST MEANINGFUL LESSON TAKEN AWAY:
I had a fifth grade student who was disruptive, never had her homework, and never seemed to understand the material. When I began working with her, my teacher told me she was a lost cause. Slowly, through many hours of work together on the class material and many lunch periods spent working on social emotional skills, she seemed like a different student. She started grasping the material and bringing in completed homework everyday. Teachers began telling me about the marked improvement they had noticed not only in her schoolwork but also in her confidence. My hours of work with this student showed me that education can be accessible to everyone. Everyone can learn and thrive if given some love and attention.