How my project impacted me. Andrew Stephens

       This project had an impact on me that brought back some memories. Before I hit puberty and grew up in size, I was somewhat wide. Combined that with my gentle nature and I was a prime target for bullying. I had this project as one of my first choices because I didn't want anyone else to go through what I went through. While I was helping with the presentation, and I saw the kids paying attention and having fun, it showed me that I can help make a difference. I might even work with the mediation center again in the future on more projects. I don't know yet, I still have stuff I have to finish this year. Also, an update on the impact my project had on the community. I was told by the speaker; Mrs. Minkowitz, that the presentation was part of an anti bullying program that they have been implementing in schools and now Titusville wants to integrate the program into their curriculum.

How did my project impact the community

My project made an impact in my community because it helped kids who are in need of shelter, food, and have some one there to guide them. My project did not only help the kids in my community but it also sho them how to be leaders. so now they can be leaders in the community. Now the kids can see problems in there community and try and find a solution or try to figure better ways to handle. So i beleive that my project had a big impact on my community not only because i help with a problem in my community but i also helped kids become leaders so they can also try and solve problems in our community.

How my project addressed a need in the community

My project addressed a need in the community by giving awareness to Younger kids
About depression,self harm,anxiety and suicide. I feel that this is a very
important subject for younger people to know about. Schools keep pushing it
aside and a lot of younger people think they are the only ones dealing with
these problems, mean while there are so many more people out there going through
the same thing. I want younger people to know that there is hope and ways to
seek help in a positive way.

How my project addressed the needs of my community?

                             My project I think had addressed my project because I was trying to help scientist get  closer to finding a cure for cancer so that people would have to suffer who were diagnosed. Also the loved ones with someone who is suffering. I think the money donated will help scientist further there research. I have heard stories from family members of our loved ones who died of breast cancer and lung cancer when I was a baby. I remember the day I saw my mom cry cause her close friend who I only met once had died from cancer. The day that I got a call from my friends mom saying my close friend who is like a sister to me was diagnosed with cancer. I thought with my project we could raise money to help families not see their loved ones suffer that we can see them become strong by finding a cure for cancer.

How my project addressed a need in the community

Growing up I had a lot of friends who's parents neglected them. Their parents were either working way too many hours or they simply did not pay much attention to their children. Regardless, I loved my friends and always wanted them to feel important because to me they were. Ever since I was little helping others has been my passion. When my best friend got put into a foster home one year it completely caught me off guard. Even though her parents may not have been the BEST parents, they certainly were not awful people in my eyes. It hurt me to see her gone just like that. And the thing is that parents may not realize how some of their actions deeply affect their children. And sometimes some parents are having a lot of trouble and may need some help taking care of their children. Which is how I came up with my project. I think it addressed a need in the community because I would directly mentor elementary students who had family problems. I would just play board games with them and make drawing and such, but just these things made them feel special. They really enjoyed it which in turn made me really happy as well. My goal was to let them know that people care about them, and I think they realized that. If this project became bigger in our community it would certainly make a big difference.

Marcel's attempt to change his community

I think my project was a good way of addressing the issue of kids not knowing how to express their feeling in a nonviolent way. The approach was in public and personal at that same time cause it taught kids how to express their feeling and learn how to share their feelings to other people. This is a good lesson to teach kids at an young age cause they use this later in life when they're going through tough times in their life. This can help the community in the long run because kids might become more artistic and we have more young artists participating in art shows and art galleries. Or we have more volunteers to paint old houses or create beautiful panting to make the community look better.

How my project addressed a need in my community

If you ask someone if they like going to the doctor, most likely they will say no. A majority of people have an irrational fear of doctors and hospitals because they had a negative experience at one point in their lives. What my project aims to do is to reduce unnecessary anxiety and fears in children who are about to under go medical procedures such as surgeries. There is a great need for programs like this in hospitals around the world. When children are taught from an early age that the hospital can be a good place and doctors are good people they are more likely to seek medical attention as the grow older leading to a healthier global community.

How did this project impact me

This project had a big impact on me and my life. I believe that our kids are the future so being able to help make sure that that are being taken care of makes me really happy. The people i ment during this project impact me because its awesome to see people caring for each other and noticing how kind hearted some people can be. Meeting these people really showed me how some like me can help and impact my community. Now i see how we can make a change.

Desription of my project

I feel like a really big issue around the world is poverty. I believe that its important that a child has everything they need to grow up. A child should have food, cloth, a place, to live and some sort of guardien to help them with any issue or problems they need help with. I couldnt take on the world alone so i started small in my community. I did a little research on my issue and talked to a few people and i found this place thats called Youth Ministies Outreach. This group of people help KIds get of the steets and show them how to stay and be positive. They do different events but the one that caught my eyes was the event they do on friday night were they gather kids do different activities with them, give them food, and show them how to be leaders in there community. So they had an event were on one night they were going have a dinner for the kids and show them how prepare for there future. But some kids couldnt attend because of financial issues so i decided to help them find sponsers so kids could attend this dinner.

The hardest part of my project

The hardest part of my project was that i didnt have my car at the moment. So transportion was a small issue. There was one friday night that i was going to go visit them before i was close to the project due date because i wanted to see how they do things and how everything worked. But on that night i had to cancel because i got out of work at 5 pm and event started at 6 so i had to cancel because i had no way of getting there. But after that i had no other issue i was able to attend the event the next weak without any problems. Another hard parts of the project was when i had to say good bye to them because some of the kids wanted me to stay. I stayed in contact with them and they want me to come back soon. so i plan to visit them as soon as i can. Other than those to issues i had no other issues with my project. If i was to do something like this again i wouldnt have any issues because i have my car now and i plan on visiting them often and staying contact with them.

How my project addressed needs in the community

The way my project, Car Wash for Cancer, addressed needs of the community is that I raised money for a cause that I personally think needs the money. Cancer is a problem that almost everyone can relate to. I and almost everyone I know has lost 1 or even more than one family member to cancer. It is becoming very widespread the money I raised can help address the need for a cure, or at least help with the treatment of the individual. Almost everybody knows someone who has had or currently has cancer, so it's definitely a problem that needs attention from everyone. I wish I could have saved more, as 73 dollars is not a significant amount. If I had done more labor, I could have helped the cause a lot more.

How My Project Addressed a Community Issue

My project addressed a community issue because it is something that has the potential to affect everyone in many different ways. If the number of honey bees decreases, then we all have less food to eat, there will be less jobs available, and the economy will suffer with less income to work with. The bees are a part of our community just as much as we are. We are able to help their cause, and with it, ours. It does not take much to help the bees. It is as simple as planting flowers or buying local honey.

How my Project has addressed a need in the community- Light up the world

My project addressed a need in the community by providing more engaging toys for hearing impaired children. Though people did not really donate a lot of light up toys the toys were more visually stimulating than auditory. While observing deaf children a person can quickly tell how they drift towards books with big pictures, toys that light up and maybe move around. They go for the things that can be seen not heard because they cannot get the enjoyment out of toys that make sound. I set up a donation drive in which my goal was to fix this problem. I asked people to donate toys that light up have various textures and move around, as well as asking for money donations. With the toys donated and bought from the money donated those toys went to hearing impaired children at one of the Saint Francis daycare facilities. Thus helping those hearing impaired children be engaged in their activities and find joy and a smile. After finishing this project I really wish I got more donations to give to the kids, but I believe my biggest impact came from the awareness I brought about the issue. I spent a lot of time trying to spread the word to as much people as I could and any time someone asked me about the project in detail I made sure I was very precise. I feel my project not only brought a smile on those kids faces, but also bring more attention to children with disabilities.  
 

My project and my Community

My project had  an affect on our community and a larger scale community. Our own Arlington High School community has hosted a Relay For Life event for the past 3 years. My event contributed to the success of this event by raising money to go toward the overall fundraising, which is the whole goal of the Relay For Life event. It added 200$ extra to my team's personal fund as well. Every year we set a personal goal that is higher than the previous year to raise. My team captain told me my Scavenger Hunt helped immensely in reaching this years goal as we approach the event. Additionally, my project had an affect on our worldwide community of people who have had any interaction with cancer. Whether someone, their family member, or their friend was affected, cancer takes something from everyone. The money I raised is going through Relay For Life directly to the American Cancer Society which works through endless research and tests to hopefully someday find a cure for cancer.

I feel like my project didn't have that big of an impact on my community, maybe it will in the future but as of now not so much. I could tell when giving the survey to students that they were all very happy that I could provide them with information about our schools cafeteria food. So in that sense I did effect those students because I let them know what was going on with their school and that they can make a difference everyday and how easy it is to just talk to the Health Administrators of the school. I also know that when I was talking to Chef Anthony and Mark, the health director, that they were eager to see my results and that they were going to use them in conducting there own project of changing our school food. The impact I made had small effects on people not so much a big effect on my whole community but it definitely was a step in the right direction of making change and having your voice heard. The small successes of my project showed me how easy it is to have an effect even if its on a few people it also effects you in the end and you learn and grow from these experiences.

How my project helped address needs of community- marina Colicci

The children's home of poughkeepsie was a great place to donate for. My donations were greatly needed. The children's home of poughkeepsie receives government funding, but that government funding only covers basic necessities such a providing food,money to help raise the children, put a roof over their heads,etc. What the government funding doesn't do is give them clothing, help fund extra programs that they provide, allow them to go on Little field trips, get presents on holidays,etc, and that's where donations come in to play. The children's home was definitely in need and my project helped to address those needs by getting the community aware an getting them involved as well as myself to be able to provide those donations. These donations gave them money to help fund those extra things and the clothes allowed the Children to look like their peers so that they didn't seem different . 

5th Day of Presentations

Although the 5th day of presentations only brought us two different projects, both were extremely honest and awesome!  They were the perfect way to end the week of strong presentations and truly made me proud of the efforts of all of my students.

Bob: While I was impressed with your project, what truly left a mark on me after your presentation was your ability to truly reflect on both your project and your life.  Your insight into what caused your struggles and successes and desire to use that information to move further in life really brought to life the idea of a "happy failer."  This ability is something that many people do not possess, and if you are able to capitalize on this, you will no doubt go far in life.  I also enjoyed hearing about your plans for the future.  While I knew about your passion for nutrition, I think the route that you have chosen to take really targets your strengths and interests, blending them to create a wonderful path for you to pursue.

Andrew: When I listened to your presentation, I could truly see that you picked the perfect project.  The fact that you had a set project ahead of you from the beginning (creating the garden) allowed you to center your efforts on concrete tasks like learning about methods and securing materials.  While other people probably would have finished the job and not continue to help the family or organization, I think that by conquering the tasks you set for yourself gave you the confidence and desire to continue beyond the original project.  While you focused primarily on the tasks at hand, please know that you have an amazing empathy for others that is evident to all who meet you.  I am so proud and happy to hear that you are going to continue to serve the families of Habitat for Humanity (and the squirrels who feed off of the gardens), and I look forward to hearing about your success.

How did my project address an issue in the community

I think that my project helped address an issue in the community because i honestly do not think that many people know the extent of the issue of child abuse and that there are organizations that help with this issue and i think my project opened it up to some of the community and showed them some more info that they may not have known before and showed them that we have local resources in our area that deal with abused and neglected children. I believe that the more people know i feel that the more they may want to help and want to try and put an end to the issue like i would like to do. I think that this could eventually lead to the community working together to try and end it. who knows maybe our little community will shed more light on the issue then before and who knows maybe we will be the ones to put an end to issue. If we all just work together i believe that we could.

My project in my community.

The idea of my project was not to make a huge impact but to hopefully do something small that would start a chain reaction. This may take time since this reaction has not started yet. That’s alright though. I have showed the video to about thirty high school seniors and by doing that I hope I have got them thinking about their actions towards others, especially since they will need to do this for the rest of their lives. This project was to help open the eyes of those that are staring down a narrow corridor. And to those that have a wider sense of view.  Never narrow your path and be a role model for those that need the fresh dose of perspective. It was to not judge others and to have an open mind, and to limit the problems between people and prevent new issues. There is no real way of telling if my project had any real impact on my community, but I hope it generated some new thought.

How did my project help address a need in my community- Blog due June 4th

My special needs soccer game definitely helped address a problem in the community. Special needs children are always ignored when it comes to sports teams. Special needs children want the same opportunities as others. Also, their parents want these same opportunities for them. By hosting the game I was able to bring awareness to this issue. Through the use of posters and social media, many people heard about this project. Many people became interested. The parents were thrilled with the opportunity and support their kids were getting. I really would love to hold games like this more often. Something I actually just thought of while typing this was trying to speak to an athletic coordinator about starting a program right at Arlington. I got a lot of attention with my project so hopefully this would get it too and we can start something at Arlington. Overall, I think my project changed a few kids lives, or even just made their day better. Even if this program does not continue I think the concern was definitely spread throughout the community. My project was shared at a Special Needs PTA meeting and shared on the website as well. I think my project along with other organizations that got involved, help people start to realize this issue our community has.

4th Day of Presentations

The fourth day of presentations makes me realize that we are a diverse class with many different interests, passions and personalities. 

Alicia: The fact that you were still able to raise money despite the fact that your event was cancelled due to surgery says alot about your passion for your cause.  Although I think your idea for your event was awesome, I am happy that you still were able to donate to the Make A Wish foundation. I would encourage you to continue to support this cause in any way possible since it is so important to you.

Ryan:  While your drive may not have been as successful as you would have hoped, your presentation was quite entertaining.  I think that you not only showed true reflection on your project (i.e. location, sign, etc.), but you also were very honest and open, creating a great project presentation.  It is that honesty that will help you with future endeavors, taking what you learned from this experience and using it when tackling another goal.

Gabi: Having attended your event, I think you need to give yourself more credit than you did in your presentation.  You were a great teacher, and, more importantly, you conquered your fear of running the class.  While I know a donation to Relay for Life was of upmost importance to you, please know that another aspect of the project is how you grew as a person. You tackled a fear while serving your community!

Brianna: Although I knew the general idea of your project, I had now idea how labor-intense it was!  Hearing how much time and effort it took to make thirty dolls was really surprised and impressed me.  You showed great leadership skills by asking for help and assigning tasks to other volunteers. I also realized how hard-working and determined you are, having done most of the work on your own.  I'm very proud of your efforts and hope that you are as well.

How my project impacted me ?

This project had showed me that I can help make good changes to help my community and help scientist in a small way to further their research to find a cure for cancer. I had always thought about helping out my community and giving back to my community. I didn't know how I wanted to give back or help out  until my project came to mind . This project had a great impact on me because it showed me I can do many things to help out even if it is something small. As I learned that something small can turn out to be something big.

My project may not have had a large effect on anybody I showed it to, if any at all, although my project did have a large impact on me. My project has shown me a new way to express issues that I have thoughts, beliefs, or concerns about, and that is by video. Even though my video is nothing overly special, it expresses ideas and a concern that some people can possibly relate to. This has really shown me what I can do with just my one action even if the reaction is not what I was looking  for.

The hardest part of my project has been to put pen to paper. I have all of these great ideas but I have not taken the time to myself to actually act on these ideas. Because of this, actually completing my project has been a whole new challenge. It has taken a lot of work and coaxing to perform up to par, but that is not even close to satisfactory. With that said I have recently completed my project and I am pleased with the outcome with the little time I gave myself. That was the hardest part of my project; my own personal boundaries.

My big impact

At first I wondered if the community cares about abilities first as much as I do. And not only just abilities first but also disabled adults and children. I had hoped that my project would help show the community that abilities first is a great program and really benifits the community in lots of ways. I think that my project impacted the people that donated at AC. Moore a little bit because they got to feel the great feeling of donating and to a great cause. But more importantly I think my project impacted abilities first the most. The teachers and students were soo happy to see the crafts that were donated to them and That they really appreciated it. It was great to see the students faces at all the crafts and especially how happy they were to make the bird and butterfly. 

How my project impacted the community

For my project I raised money for the make a wish foundation. This is a foundation that gives the gift of hope and happiness to children who are terminally ill. The money that was raised from my project will go towards a child getting their wish. Helping  just one child is only the start. I feel like this project impacted my community because when one child and their family regain hope that joy spreads to the others around them. Even though donating money is only a small contribution, the hope and happiness it brings will go along way. 

3rd Day of Presentations

After day 3 of presentations I hope everyone is realizing how different the projects are. Today we heard from four different presenters that took this project in totally different directions. It's pretty awesome to see what you have done with the same project guidelines.

Marina: While you may have chosen your project to be easier to handle with your work schedule, we could easily see that it grew into something that you did not intend. When you talked about all that you collected, it was evident that you were extremely proud and happy to make such a difference. I love the fact that this makes you want to do more.

Paige: When you talked about why you did your project, you spoke about the first time that you volunteered with Habitat for Humanity. Listening to you speak about what drew you to volunteer and how you wanted to replicate that for other students is probably one of the nicest things I have ever heard. One cannot help but notice your passion to help others and your enthusiasm for service is infectious (that's a good thing).

Val: For someone who is apprehensive about public speaking, you sure presented your project like an expert. Your interest and passion towards your topic carried you through both a great project and presentation. You literally raised awareness for honeybees during your presentation alone. I encourage you to keep going and continue to spread your message, for you do an excellent job teaching others.

Heather: Your presentation made me smile. Not only were you able to joke about the rough parts (i.e. Making copies, getting surveys done), but the look of surprise that you had when explaining that your survey was actually useful to the food services staff. Your project truly shoes how one person can make a difference and address problems. 

Great job ladies!

The Impact that my project has had on me.

As i began this project i had my doubts about how i was going to do my presentation about healthy eating. Any small change could have had an impact on the presentation or a impact on me and it did. But as the weeks went on i started to become stressed out about how i was going to do certain things like, how am i going to get there, how will i present should i use a card as i talk or shouldn't I. On the day of the presentation i felt confident on what i had planned. As the teacher introduced me she only said my name once, thats all i took for the kids of the class to remember my name. The amount of respect they had for me was unbelievable! They could all have just tooned me out and done what they wanted but they sat there quiet and listened to me as i spoke. It made me feel happy and made everything i did worth it. As i walked out of the building i felt like i could do any presentation no matter how big or small it is.(I say that now but my final presentation is on friday).That 1 hour and 45 min in that classroom will be remembered by me forever and is one of the best moments I have had i in my high school years. That is the impact that my project has had on me.        

Marcel's hard time

Although I had fun setting up and preparing for my event I also dealt with many problems that got in my way. The main problem that I had to face was finding a way to spread the word out about my project and how it can help the community and help families become closer together. I was surprised when no one showed up because I thought the people in my church would show up but obviously they didn't. But even though no one showed up I still feel good about my self because I made an attempt to better my community. Another problem I also faced was finding a way to gain enough money to buy colored paper, color pencils, and a pencil sharpener even though none of these materials were used. So what I did was went my family for support and also ask people in grocery stores and other local stores. At the end of my trip I raised fifty dollars to buy the materials for my event. But I’m glad that my mom and brother showed up to support me and what I am doing to help my community. I would definitely do this project again in the future.

2nd Day of Presentations

The 2nd day of presentations showed a common theme: students choosing projects that have a tie to either a future career they want to pursue or interest they already had. If you recall, I encouraged you to choose a project you were passionate about, moving you to give it your all. Here's what I enjoyed about each presentation:

CJ: I could clearly see your face light up when you were talking about hearing-impaired kids. You seemed so excited to share your passion for helping them with others. While you didn't collect as much as you had hoped, I really think you will continue to try to help in any way you can.

Marcel: I enjoyed hearing about your experiences with using art as an outlet. A great teacher is one who understands where their students are coming from. The presentation you designed truly showed a desire to help and educate. Although the project is over, I really encourage you to share your presentation with as many people as you can, truly helping kids express themselves.

Taylor: As you were presenting, I remembered how long it took you to settle on a project. After watching your presentation, all that stress in the beginning seemed to be worth it. You really gave your project your all and truly showed care and compassion for the students and organization that you helped. Seeing your passion for special needs children, I have no doubt that you will be a great special education or elementary teacher.

Great job folks!

How my project addressed a community issue. Andrew Stephens

My project addressed the issue of bullying by targeting kids that have not yet experienced much bullying and making them aware of the problem and how to avoid having it become their problem. I'm essentially making sure the weed doesn't take root. This problem is rampant in my community. My neighbor's son said he was bullied and at least four of the kids from the class in Titusville said they had some experience being bullied. I don't know how much of an impact my project had on the community, but I hope it helped.

How did your project help adress a need in your community? Andrew Heaton

My project helped address a need in my community in several ways. A way in which this happened was that I volunteered my time to Habitat for Humanity which is an organization that helps address poor families in my community. My project that I performed was that I built a vegetation garden for one of the Habitat for Humanity homeowners involved with the organization. After I helped out, I felt good about what I had done. I had a good feeling that I did a good about what I had done. By the end of the project, I think that I was considered a positive community leader. This project I worked on addressed a need in my community because of all my hard work and completing tasks that were important for me to get done. I want to help others more in my community in the future. There is always help that is needed in a community. It is just the effort and drive that you have to have in you to go out and work for these community members.  After completing this project, I think that I am capable of doing this all. I know that I can and I have confidence that I can. This is how my project addressed a need in my community.

How did your project help address a need in your community?

In our community, we need to know that poverty is a huge issue especially in the city of Poughkeepsie. Habitat for Humanity is trying to rebuild Thompson Street, because there are just so many abandoned houses that families could be living in, if they were livable. The fact that I got so many volunteers to come out and learn about something they never heard of was amazing to me!  To know that I taught them something totally worth knowing about made a huge difference in my life.  I can't wait to get the rest of Arlington students involved.  I really want a club to form and that way, each Saturday or something it can be Arlington Day, and that way we have the volunteers but we also have students learning about Habitat for Humanity and what it does for OUR community. The struggle I will face is that I will be graduating in less than a month, but I know with the help of Mrs. Bellino and other people who are active in the community will help make this work! I'm excited to see this change, and I hope that I started off the path in the right shoes!

1st Day of Project Action Presentations

Hello my students,

You may remember me saying a few times why I love the Project Action presentations and may have even caught a few reasons why since the class started (you work so hard, it's based on something you care about, etc.). You may have even heard about past students projects and hear them say how proud they were of their accomplishments. It is all just words and hearsay, however, until the actual class presentations start.

As we started the presentations, I knew what was coming. Sure, it seems like students just talking about their projects at first. Once the presentations get going, you can start to see a transformation. Each student beams a little more with pride, shows more emotion describing their failures, connects more with their project and why exactly they did it. 

I have decided to blog each day about the presentations. The blogs will not recap projects or results, instead they will focus on what I have found to be the most moving parts of each presentation from my perspective. If you have a spare chance or found something to be particularly moving for you, as a presenter or spectator, I encourage you to share a comment as well.

Anthony (car wash for American Cancer Society): When you told the story about the donation you received from a person who lost both parents to cancer shows how much of a need there is for projects like yours.  Think about how much a project like yours means to a person like that.

Kim (special needs soccer game): Knowing how much work and effort you put into the project makes your stories of Phillip and the visually impaired student even more special. The testimonies of both the parents and special needs students should show you how much of a difference you made in their lives.

Pedro (sponsored students in need at leadership dinner): When you explained why you wanted the boys to be at the leadership dinner, the quote you used showed how much you thought of the boy's future. "If you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime."

Vinny (donation drive for Children's Home of Poughkeepsie): Hearing how thankful you are for your life and how observant you are of the situation of others shows true compassion and empathy.  The fact that you wanted more out of your drive shows how much you care about the cause.

Mahwiyat (elementary class on healthy eating): When you talked about your presentation it seemed like you truly enjoyed the experience. You had the "teacher glow" that one gets when they have a positive interaction with students and are able to open ther eyes to new topics and ideas. 

This is just the beginning, folks! I'm beaming with pride already. 

 Have a great Memorial Day. Remember to thank someone who served our country, it's the least we can do. 

How has the project impacted you and/or what did you learn from it?

Click on the comment section directly underneath this post to write your blog response.  Your response should be at least 200 words and in proper English (spelling, punctuation). This blog post is due by May 28th.  You must also comment on another person's blog post to this question by Friday, May 30th.  E-mail me with any questions.  *Andrew H. gave me a tip: before you publish your comment, click on the box that asks if you would like an e-mail sent to you.  He said it seems to work best.  I would also suggest copying your blog before you hit publish in case it does not go through (they you can just paste what you wrote and try again).

Hardest Part of Project Save the Doges

For my Project Action, Save the Doges, the hardest part would probably have been finding a place to do it. Finding a store to allow me to do my fundraiser there was probably the most stressful part of my project so far. A&P and Shoprite both expected me to have representatives from the DCSPCA to sponsor the fundraiser which could not be done. Luckily, I am good friends with a lot of the workers at the local pizzeria, Madisons, and was granted permission to do my fundraiser there! Project Action: Save the Doges will be underway this Saturday May 18th during the dinner rush 4pm - 7pm, come in drop a few bucks in the jar and grab a slice of pizza if you can!

Reflection of project

I had problems throughout the entire project. At first I was slacking off and would get confused by due dates, which obviously is my own fault. Then once I thought I had everything together, I realized I needed supplies, and thankfully my girlfriends father was able to help with that. During the project everything was fine, except for the fact that most of the people who said they would come decided not to. Luckily, we wound up not having too much business and most people just donated, so it didn't make a difference. Even with all these problems though, it felt good to make a change, and I'm glad I did it.

Struggles, Projects, I might just go Crazy...

To be comepletely honest I've been really "walking the tightrope" with my C.A.L Project recently. My personal struggles, School Work, and family issues have all been preventing me from focusing on doing important tasks for the project. I've been behind on classwork, and I even have been a "bad blogger" and have not been up to date on all blogger posts. I think now that we are coming to the ends of the year, many more things will pop up and probably put pressue on my C.A.L situation. The balance of life and this project has been the hardest thing for me. ON A POSITIVE NOTE: The project itself is running well, the Date is set for may 20th at the Elks Lodge in Poughkeepsie at 7:30pm, and all of my resouces are in place. Opertunity to help? : Yes! If you have a little Sibling who could benefit from hearing my presentation (and also likes snacks) come out on the 20th, right now I have mostly if not only scouts who I know are coming, and I was hoping for some regular community members. Outlook on the rest of the project: Im WILL to do this ... even if it kills me!

Tackling Obesity

For my project I will be conducting a survey of students in the highschool concerning the cafeteria food. My survey will include questions asking preferable foods and concerns towards the food being served in our cafeteria. The object of my project is get students voices heard. I met with the Chef and Health Administrator of the school and they are both working on a project for our school to create a healthier food environment for next year. This survey will help administrators when deciding what foods to cut and and what foods/beverages to include for next year. So far the classes I have surveyed have been great results, I was surprised to see how many students were already concerened about unhealthy foods and how many students were excited and willing to do the survey to make change.  My goal is to get alot more students so this survey can truly stand as a difference in our school and mean something.

What has been the hardest part of this project?

In this blog post, please explain what has been the hardest part of this project for you?  Your response can be based on your individual project plan or how I set up the project.  Your response should be detailed (about 200 words should help you explain your thoughts) and should provide your true reflection on the project up to this point.  Click on "REPLY" and type your response in the reply section.

project desription: Anthony

My project is going to be washing cars at McDonald's, and the money I raise will be going towards the American Cancer Society. I still need to make posters and I also realized that I haven't thought of a price for each wash should be. I think I should have the posters by Monday, but I'm not sure if I need to ask to hang up posters around the school. I also wanted to make sure how many hoses, buckets and sponges I need, should I go to McDonalds to ask them?

Krafts with kids

My project is special to me and means a lot for me to help people with disabilities. I will be sitting outside of AC. Moore craft store on May 3rd. I hope to raise enough crafts to do a project with a classroom at abilities first disability school. I also hope to raise more than needed so the school can have supplies to continue to do arts and crafts after I leave them. I will be going to an adult classroom on May 7th to do a spring craft with them and I hope they enjoy it as much as I am going to ! 

Clothes for a Change

Clothes for a Change by Marina Colicci

     My Project is called Clothes for a Change. I am having an event at the store that I am currently employed, called Once Upon a Child. Once Upon a Child is a children's retail/resale store that buys and sells new and gently used children's items. My event will be held on Saturday, May 3rd from 10-6 p.m. For the Clothes for a change Event all donations will be going to the Children's Home of Poughkeepsie. The Children's home of Poughkeepsie provides a safe and stable environment for children and families who are abused or neglected. Children in this home are placed here by Social Services for foster care. For my project, you can receive a 2 dollar baby buck coupon that can apply toward your next purchase. You can receive one of these coupons by purchasing one or more pieces of apparel and/or a toy and donating it to my booth located outside of the store. Monetary, Clothing, and Toy donations are accepted. I just finished making flyers for my project today, I am hoping I get a big turnout! The anticipation for this weekend is killing me I just hope it all comes together.

Hunt for Life

For the past 3 years me and my friends have made a team to participate in the Relay For Life at Arlington High School. Each year we set a goal higher than the previous one to  fundraise and donate toward Relay. Relay For Life funds go directly to the American Cancer Society which supports cancer research. As a co-captain of my team, I have organized a scavenger hunt around Vassar College and Raymond Avenue  for my team to participate in. Our team is about 40 people and I will split them into small groups and provide each group with a list of tasks with different point values to complete around the area. The winning team will receive a small cash prize and the rest of the money will go toward our team's relay.

Project Sunshine: Bringing Sunshine to a Cloudy Day

Each year millions of children around the world are hospitalized. A vast majority of these children get to go home in a few days but there are an unlucky few that have to spend weeks or even months in the hospital. Not only are these children severely ill but they are also separated from everything that was once normal to them.  Until they recover, these kids will not get to see their friends, family or pets which can be very traumatizing for them. For my project I am fundraising for Project Sunshine and making Surgi Dolls  to hand out to children. Surgi dolls are hand sew dolls that are used by child life specialists and social workers to explain to children how upcoming medical procedures will be done. Surgi Dolls eliminate anxiety and comfort children during their time in the hospital. For my project I am making these dolls with the help of the Arlington community. I will need people to help cut, sew and stuff the Surgi Dolls so they can be shipped off the the children that need them. 

Make a Wish

For my project I am raising money to help the Make a Wish foundation fund wishes for children with terminal illnesses. If you don't know what the foundation does, it funds one wish per child that is terminally sick. These wishes can range from a new puppy to meeting a celebrity it all depends on what the child wants. With the large range of wishes they do get expensive I am hoping I am able to rise at least a couple hundred dollars. Right now I have coin drops set up at my local gas stations which seem to be doing pretty well. I can't wait to see the grand total at the end!   

Healthy eating habits among young children

For my project I am going to explain to third graders why they should eat healthy and show them how almost every junky food has a healthy alternative. I feel as though most people would just tell their kids “Don’t eat that, it’s bad for you” and don’t take the time to explain WHY it’s bad for them or even provide some sort of replacement that IS good for them.I watched a documentary about a year or so ago that went over what goes on in the body when you eat unhealthily, and it really changed my habits and I want to have that same influence on our youth. I feel like if you show younger kids what I saw in a less morbid way, then they’ll change their habits too. I have a slide show ready, and in that slide show I have a few clips of a show called "The Bite-Sized Adventures of Sam Sandwich" which is a 5 minute show that teaches kids about eating healthy. I also have some diagrams to explain what happens when you eat unhealthy and lots of pictures to distinguish good from bad. I also plan to bring in a healthy alternative for a commonly loved junk food. I'm really excited for this presentation :D

Marcel

For my project I try to help to help kids express them selves through drawing and help parents connect with their child. I already did my projcet and no one showed, so I'll create a poster to explain what my project is about and how it can help can children. I don't feel bad about the fact that no one came because I feel I did every thing I could to help people with their chioldren.

Save the Honey Bees

For my project, I am creating a video for the school announcements that will address what is currently happening to honey bees, and how we can help. I am also planning on attending one of Mr. Ouimet's elementary student classes in order to have them learn about honey bees and plant flowers as an activity and an idea of how they can make a difference. I have had 50 students at AHS take a pre-survey as an analysis of how informed students are, and after I show my video I will take a post-survey.

Light Up the World One Smile At a Time

My project plan was to collect as much as light up toys that I could for the deaf/ hearing impaired children at Saint Francis daycare. Deaf children do not have the same ability to play with and stimulate their brain with as many objects as hearing children do. They need toys that are engage them specifically. At this point I have finished my project: Light Up the World One Smile At a Time. I started my project last week where I collected light up toys for deaf/ hard of hearing children. I also set up free will donation boxes in two class rooms. The toys I collected will be cleaned and brought to Saint Francis Hospital shortly. I just need to create time in my overloaded schedule to clean them and get them there. The money collected will be used to buy more toys for the children or batteries for any of the toys that did not come with them. I am extremely excited to be basically done with my project, but not too fond of the little amount of toys that were donated. All I have left to do on my project besides that is survey 50 random people and conduct a post interview with my contact person from the hospital. Basically by mid next week I should be completely finished with my project!

For my project I am creating a respect based informational video to show that respect is a major necessity and is not prioritized in today's society. The video will give facts about bullying and other negative aspects that are used in everyday life. Currently I am in the process of actually composing the video. It will be about thirty minutes long. It will also be shown to my current Civic Action and Leadership class. I hope that this video will really open peoples eyes that there is in fact an overall problem that can be tackled.

The Freshman Video

For my project I am creating a video for incoming Freshman. The idea is so that Freshman are not so nervous and they have an idea of the school so it is not such a mystery. I have been going around school taking pictures of different places in the school that are important. I have gotten the guidance offices, the Cafeterias, dance room, Band room, and a few other places around the school. I am still working on getting all the pictures and I am hoping that with in the next week or so I can start on the video. I have also created a video for 8th graders to take. The only problem is, is that the teacher for some reason has not gotten them. I am going around and asking people what they think are the best places for pictures. I know that in the beginning of the week next week I need to take pictures of more class rooms with students. I was thinking that I could make more copies of the per-survey to ask one of my neighbors who is in Arlington Middle School to bring it to the teacher for me and maybe be my in between since who knows what happened to the last thing.

Operation: Voice of the Bullied

My project involves trying to alleviate the bullying problem in our community. I am having a speaker from the Mediation Center of Dutchess County come in to Titusville to talk to a 5th grade class about the dangers of bullying, how to spot it, what to do in those kind of situations, etc. As of now I have spoken the the social worker at Titusville and have spoken with the Mediation Center. I gave the Center the social worker's number so they can work some stuff out when I'm not there. I have the first draft of a pre-survey I'm going to have the kids do before the speaker talks. I also have an artistic project in mind that I have to make for the kids. I still have to finalize a date for the presentation and arrange a meeting with the social worker to iron out some of the details.

What will you build?

Brief description of my project

The name of my project is What will you build? Habitat for Humanity is a non profit, faith based organization that provides decent, affordable housing for people currently living in substandard housing.   I am going to have an Arlington Day for Arlington students to come to learn about Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County and its mission.  After a quick presentation anyone who signed up with me will be able to lend a hand at the latest build site.  There will be pizza and refreshments provided to any volunteers who come out on Saturday May 10th at 1:30 pm. There will be several projects provided by Habitat, such as power washing, cleaning out the house, etc.  Anyone who comes will have to wear appropriate equipment such as a hard hat and safety glasses which will be provided by Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat for humanity

Currently I am doing very well with my project. I am creating a vegetation garden for one of the Habitat for Humanity homeowners. Next Saturday on May 3rd I will be getting the ground ready by tilling it. Then, on the following weekend I will be planting the actual plants. My official project date will be Saturday May 10th. I am hoping that the weather cooperates with my project because it is still a little chilly at night. This has been a challenge for me because I have to check the weather about twice a day. At my house I have about 36 plants that are planting. I will then bring these plants to the homeowners house and plant them into the ground. Over spring break, I went to the homeowners house and met with the lady I will be creating the vegetation garden for. I did some measurements and I also blocked off the area of where I will be tilling the ground. There has been some research that I have done in order to till the ground. I will be tilling the ground about 6-10 inches. I have most of the materials at my house and Habitat for Humanity provided me with a irrigation system. They have given me hoses and other supplies. My plan is too put the hoses near the garden and then some how have the water drip out so that it can help me with growing the plants. This is part of the irrigation plan that I have created. This will help me in growing the plants the right way. These are some of the things that I have currently been working on with my project the past few weeks. 

Dance for a life

I am doing a Zumba class to raise money for cancer. The donations will go to Relay for life. It will be on May 7th in the dance room from 2:15 to 3:15 after school so that students can take the after school bus if needed. I made the posters and I got it approved by A.P.O . Now I am going to get the poster copied and put up by tomorrow or monday no later than that. The only thing I need to do is make sure Mrs turcio can teach the class and if not who can teach the zumba class.

Project Soccer Star

The name of the project I created is Project Soccer Star. It is a soccer game for special needs children. During the two hours of the event the children will be doing soccer based activities and games. I will have high school volunteers there helping as well. I am pretty happy with my progress. I have a date and location (May 10th at Arlington High School), I have some volunteers, and now all I need is participants.  I handed flyers out to the Boces classes in the high school and I am planning on sending flyers to all the elementary schools. I hope I can get people soon because if I do the day will be great! I am meeting with the Mr. Keenan today so he can guide me in how to organize the day. Other than getting participants I just need to work on minor things such as a banner.

my project #swagg #yolo #2k14

my project is going to be raising money for abused children. i am going to be working with the children home on this project. i am going to be holding a fundraiser in may at my job. all raised money will be going to the children home to help fund the programs that they run that are not funded by the government. my specific one is ace the therapy dog. he works with the children to help them get threw a hard time. his vet bills and food and everything for him does not get supported so he has to be run strictly off of donations. i am looking forward to raising this money and helping them.

#SaveTheDoges

My project action is known as Project save the Doges, I will  be raising money and supplies in order to donate to the ASPCA, I am in the process of selecting a date to hold this event, I have been researching facts about ASPCA funding and how much it costs them to tend to all their animals in order to show the public and make them aware of what the ASPCA does for the homeless animals. #SaveTheDoges #ASPCA #DontThinkJustDonate

Your First Day of Blogging

Tomorrow is your first day of blogging. I am so excited for you!  This will allow us to use the same format and for you to even use the "Blogger" app. Others will be able to see your post using this format.  While this should not change your reflection or thoughts, if there is something that you would like to address privately feel free to e-mail me using either of my e-mail addresses. Also, I encourage you to read the blogs of your classmates and offer any insight or words of encouragement that you feel would help them in their project using the comment feature below their post. Before the end of the course, each student will have to comment on at least two different blog posts of two different students.  I will also blog as to my thoughts, observations, etc. related to your projects or Genius Hour- check the blog regularly to keep up with me! If you ever have any questions or concerns, please see or e-mail me immediately.  Happy Blogging!

Today I am trying to blog for the first time, hoping that I will be able to understand the process well enough to teach my students.  I would like to offer this as an option this semester to my senior Civic Action and Leadership students as well as submission of journal entries via Google docs. I am hoping that this is an easy process that both the students and I will feel comfortable with.