Personal Reflection

Note on group project: I really enjoyed working with my group. I think our project really came together in the end, and I'm excited for our presentation.

Speaking of presentations....

Here's the link to our prezi.

Here's the link to my documentary. 

When looking back on this semester, three meaningful pieces of the course that had a strong impact on me were the Journey for Change film, The Boys of Baraka film, and the service-learning project. These three components all relate to one another. All three pieces were programs for minority children who were struggling as a result of the inequalities they face on a day-to-day basis. The programs were meant to help alleviate some of their struggles in a productive and beneficial way and empower the children. For starters, Malaak Compton-Rock’s Journey for Change program took inner-city kids from Brooklyn to South Africa in an effort to empower youth through global service. The Baraka School took inner-city kids in Maryland to Kenya in an effort to give them the adequate attention they needed and deserved in the classroom in addition to empowering them to become strong young men. Lastly, Boyz2Men was an opportunity to imbed myself in a cause I truly care about, and help young minority boys through a program that empowered them and gave them access to resources and an open and safe environment where they could voice their opinions and concerns. In addition, I was able to produce a short documentary highlighting the importance of mentorship/empowerment programs for young minority children.

            These three pieces are really inspiring me to make a difference in the education system. Blatantly stated, the education is flawed and children are not getting adequate access to the resources they need to succeed. I believe programs like Journey for Change, The Baraka School, and Boyz2men are necessary to compensate for the short fallings of schools. Before this class, I thought I had a pretty good idea of the African American community; however, I realized I had so much more to learn! This class has better prepared me to work in tough communities. Next year in San Antonio, I plan on starting mentorship programs at the different middle schools City Year works at. I realize that one cannot just blame the schools because they are not the one’s making all decisions. There is a problem with the government’s allocation of funding to school districts, budget cuts, and school closings. Every child deserves access to a great education, and it is not fair that so many children, mainly minority children, are not getting access to one. I’ve been inspired to go into education policy and fight for the rights of children who are falling through the cracks of the education system.