A Day of Hope

Today we visited Hill-Hope Elementary School, located in the Sweet Auburn district of Atlanta right next door to the King Center. The school is named after Civil Rights activist, John Hope. John Hope was the son of a white businessman and free African American woman. He was born during a time where interracial marriages were still prohibited, but yet his family stood together despite others' beliefs. He became the first black President of Atlanta University, which was affiliated with Spelman and Morehouse Colleges, both of which we visited on this trip. Although John looked white, he was proud of his heritage and strongly believed in treating all races equally. I find it very fitting that a school located right next to the King Center to be named after him.

We worked as volunteers for the Junior Achievement program. Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization targeted in teaching children about free enterprise system and education. Two of us were assigned to a kindergarten class, in which we taught the children about "Ourselves." My group included G and Kenya. We spent time yesterday preparing for our 5 lessons that we were responisble to teach. G and Kenya took turns reading the storybook and boy did they do a great job!

As we arrived at the school we were greeted by Niambi Brown, the coordinator of the JA program. She was so welcoming and was a pleasure to work with! She filled us in about the programs' goals, as well as the area of Atlanta.

We worked in Ms. Samples' class. The classroom was top of the notch! As a future educator, I was thoroughly impressed with all of the posters, manipulatives, and centers. I especially liked the fact that groups were named "perserverance, tenacity, and determination." It's a great way to integrate ideals to children at such a young age. I was also very impressed with how intelligent all of the students were. Several of the children were able to read and most knew all of their coins as well!

The JA program was a great success. We were able to complete all 5 lessons, which was very exciting for our group! Great work Kenya and G. The children were very well behaved and sat quietly while we read the story. The loved all of the activities too, especially the stickers and piggy bank. I think the lessons were well planned and organized and really focused on important topics that were relatable to children in kindergarten. I will be contacting the JA program in NJ to possibly start at my site because I enjoyed it so much!

Hill-Hope Elementary School is a Title 1 school[ just like Hedgepeth]. As you walk in the front doors of the school I felt like I was walking into a school in an area like Princeton. The walls were filled with bright colorful and inspirational murals, some with quotes and some with famous people. I walk away from that school with new determination to create similar murals at my site with my Girl Scout troop. It is amazing how a small thing like a painting on a wall can affect an entire atmosphere.

One of the greatest things of all about this trip is my renewed passion to make my site the best it can be. It is so easy to get wrapped up with small details and things that go wrong, but I realize I need to focus on the positives. The week before coming to Atlanta I had the best experience thus far at my site. We started a second Girl Scout troop as well as a Boy Scout pack. The children loved it, as well as the Bonners involved. Again, a simple activity like this makes a difference in these children's lives, and it is the children's smiles that fuel my passion to help. Atlanta has allowed me to reflect on why it is so important to work together with others towards a common goal. The Civil Rights Movement involved people of all races, religions, and classes, and I hope we all can continue to work together to make this world we live in a better place.

This trip also allowed me to get to know each of the Bonners in attendance a little bit better. It is opportunities like these that really bring people together, and I can not be more grateful. From 15 hour van rides to sorting cans to teaching kindergarteners to eating Southern soul food to laughing at eachother- I have not had a better experience than this one. I also am grateful that G was such a great chaperone. G and I just recently got to know eachother because of this trip, and I don't think this trip could have been as much of a success if it was not for him and his persistence.

Tomorrow morning we are leaving very early to drive back to Jersey. Although I am excited to go back home, I am saddened to leave such a diverse area. We could not have picked a better location for this trip because it truly is a melting pot. The different sections of the city represent all of the different people living in this area. Although they are separate, they have one thing in common, southern hospitality. It actually upsets me that we all do not act this kindly to others in NJ. If you think about it, is it really that hard to be polite and nice to others? I will go to sleep tonight with a new mindset to treat all people with respect and politeness.

I really do recommend all to visit this wonderful city. You will have a lot of fun and learn just as much along the journey.

Until later, Dana

Service Leadership in Atlanta..days 2 and 3 : )

Hey y'all!!!

Unfortunately, the last two days here in ATL have been very rainy, but this has not negatively affected our spirits or enthusiasm, nor have we allowed the weather to affect our service work. It's work as usual for us Bonners...

We were all VERY excited to be working at Hosea Feed the Hungry and at Hope Elementary School. Both experiences have taught me that the volunteer work that we preform has a much bigger impact than any of us can fully understand. All of those cans that we help sort, though a seemingly small job, on a BIGGER scale would eventually end up being packaged up and distributed to those in need in the local community of Atlanta. We were just a small piece of a much larger puzzle that will slowly come together in order to solve the pandemic problems that tend to plague any large city. I am proud to say that TCNJ Bonner Community Scholars were a piece of that puzzle. At Hope Elementary School we facilitated the Junior Achievement Program, a great interactive and educational program that allows students K-6th grade to become familiar with all the components of a good business, and along the way they not only learn about themselves but about those people with whom they are working with. Sabrina and I were partners for this program, and we both LOVED it! It was extremely age appropriate, and the kids were completely engaged, eager, and enthusiastic the whole time. Also, we couldn't have asked for a better class or teacher : ).. Thanks to the prep time that we had the day before we were to head the program, the day ran smoothly and the staff and students at Hope Elementary were very pleased with our work. :)

As Bonner Scholars we are expected to show exemplary skills as both a volunteers and leaders. Simultaneously fulfilling these rolls is not only an easy task, but the rewards associated with this type of role in our world are nothing short of amazing! I strongly believe that it's not enough to only reach out and help those in our local communities, we need to not only think locally, but nationally, and look at the bigger puzzle and think globally!

Tomorrow we leave.. :(

Later y'all!

B-love,

Ashley

Hosea Feed The Hungry & JA at John Hope Elementary School

Yesterday morning it was pouring outside but we were all ready to embark on the community service activities that we came to do in ATL. We entered Hosea Feed The Hungry Warehouse and it was HUGEEEEE!!!! BIGGER than what I had anticipated! We got right down to business and sorted cans from this enormous cardboard box which contained more than 2,000 cans of different items. As we dug through the piles of cans we had to classify each can and place it into the appropriate category (greens, fruits, soups, beans, dried goods, corn, carrots, tomato products, misc, etc). I can't believe we had cleared that entire box in less than 3 hours. It will surely be a memorable experience which required both teamwork, cooperation, and organizational skills.

Today, we went to John Hope Elementary school to do a junior achievement (JA) program with kindergartners. First, we met Ms. Brown, the director of the JA program at the school. She is such a warm, welcoming, and optimistic individual. She gave us an overview of the school and program. At the end of the program, I really liked how she asked us to personally identify and evaluate the strengths and flaws of the JA program on a whole.

I was very excited and thrilled to be at the school since my community service site is at Hedgepeth Williams (Elementary/Middle School) and I love kids! I was partnered with Ashley to conduct the program in Ms. Townsend's class. She is a wonderful woman full of enthusiasm. The stories we read and the activities we did were very educational and the kids enjoyed themselves. They were taught lessons about farm animals, planting a community garden, money, purchasing and saving. The resources in the JA program were so organized and interesting. The children loved the worksheets and props for each story we read. They even got awards at the end of the day for participating in the program and for being such great boys and girls. The kindergartners were so adorable! They even gave Ashley and I certificates for coming to their school and signed their names on it. I had a great time working with them and really hope to continue doing JA with other schools and students in the future.

The first thing that had caught my eye when I entered the school was the numerous murals painted on every wall and the quotes in the bathrooms. It was an enlightening experience. Overall, this trip has been wonderful and the community service we have provided here are unforgettable. Again, I want to thank Pat for giving me the chance to come down to ATL as well as Dana and G for organizing this trip full of activities and community service.

~Sabrina

Days 1-3 in Atlanta!!!

So, this is the third day in good ole town of ATL! & its my birthday today!!!!!, lol. Honestly, I couldn’t be any happier to have the opportunity to be here in this beautiful city. Right from the first day we arrived, I knew this trip was going to be a very memorable one and has indeed proven itself to be. The drive, down here was amazing! I was in the van with Ashley, Erica, and Sabrina & had a lot of fun with them. Ashley is definitely a beast on the wheel aka Amazing at driving! Simply because she drove the entire way down here and not once did she request to have someone take over driving, therefore she is a beast. Minutes before arriving at our hotel, we stopped to eat @ Bojingles & it was interesting 2 observe the difference in the way they interact with their customers as far as serving, accents and just their lifestyle in general. On the 9th, the 2nd day, we ate at golden corral for breakfast and ate at a P Diddy owned restaurant, called “Justine's” later in the night where the workers sang happy birthday to me!. As of yesterday, I have visited the King's center, his birth home, visited the campus which held Morehouse, Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University. I had a good time touring around the campus as I have always wanted to do such. Walking through the halls of the King's center, was very overwhelming in the sense that I felt like I was part of history as I looked into the lives of so many famous civil rights activists who died for our freedom. It was just great to add more into the knowledge I already have regarding the civil rights movement. Being able to tour around the home that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in was amazing and overwhelming experience; Again, one of the major highlights of this trip. Later in the evening, for dinner we met up with John Cross, who was once a Bonner, and always will be a Bonner. Seeing him looking like a responsible young business man and catching up with him was an exciting thing to do and was extremely thankful for that. As a matter of fact, Giancarlo suggested that we all go around the table and mention what we’re all thankful for and a lot of us were thankful for seeing him again and being together on this wonderful service trip. Today, we started off the day by doing service at the soup kitchen which was a very successful day. We successfully sorted out all the canned foods from a gigantic box holding about 2000 or more cans. Doing service on my birthday was undeniably a very rewarding thing & very heart fulfilling.

-Nichole Emele

SWEET GEORGIA!

Before I came on this trip, I saw the list of people that were going and was excited because I felt as though I somewhat knew everyone but two people. (Erica & Rob) But throughout this trip I have learned a great deal about the people that I even thought I knew! Since day 1, our group as a whole has had a natural bonding experience. Throughout our car rides, community service experiences, and trips; we have shared many opinions/beliefs/perspectives with each other which is why I feel like this trip has been so rewarding. The first day we spent exploring The King Center and The Birth Home of MLK Jr. Walking through the King Center was a very powerful experience because it was amazing to see MLK's dream come true. We often just look at dreams in a wishful mind set but getting the chance to see all the history around us really made me think about this quote: "Walk by faith, not by sight!"

Yesterday, we went to Josea Feeds The Hungry Warehouse, where we were directed to assort canned goods into food groups that had already been made. I must say, we worked extremely hard and were determined to finished a HUGE box that held about a thousand of mixed cans into their perspective groups. Being the bonners that we are...of course we went above and beyond and started with smaller boxes then working our way into finishing that box with thousands of cans. I can't really say much other than: TEAMWORK! We really did work great as team :)

To end our community service involvement in ATL, we went to an elementary school near The King Center where we executed a program called Junior Achievement. Last night, before going to the school we did take time to prepare and split up into groups...going through the material we needed for today. This program was so organized and just really well thought out that there was no room for confusion. When we got to the school this morning we were warmly greeted and sent to our own classrooms. I worked with Erica in Ms. Bell's classroom which was GREAT, CRAZY, HECTIC, BUT NONETHELESS ENJOYABLE. We had about 5 lesson plans that taught the kids specific objectives such as the importance of earning (money/rewards), how to save money, how to simply distinguish each coin, etc. Our class was really energetic so we tried our best to keep the flow going and keep them entertained! I had sooo much fun today because the kids were great and lovable as always!

Overall, this experience has been fullfilling and rewarding in so many aspects. (Giving back to the community, bonding, LAUGHING, teaching G new lingo, meeting new people, and most of all getting the feel of SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY) I really appreciate all the work that Dana put into organizing this trip and for Pat's power to help us carry it out! haha..But I must admit Giancarlo has done an amazing job in communicating with us and guiding us to reflect upon the things that we often take for granted! So thanks to all who helped put this together because it was DEFINITELY worth it :)

B-LOVE,
Natasha G. Perez

The rain won't bring us down!

We woke up today to pouring rain, but that did not affect our mood for the day! Today was our first day of service at Hosea Feed the Hungry. It is a non profit organization run by a descendant of MLK Jr. The facilities were HUGE! It was so impressive to see such a large food pantry! All of the volunteers there were extremely welcoming and inspirational. I did not realize how well known this organization in the Atlanta community. They do wonderful things and help thousands of people everyday, and I am honored to have been able to be part of this.

I have never had such a fun time sorting out cans before. It was a great bonding experience for all of us to learn to work together as a group to achieve our goal! By the end of day, we had unloaded and sorted thousands of cans... what a great feeling!!

We ate at the Waffle House for lunch... too bad I didn't even try a waffle.. oops! The food was really good once again.

Next we planned for our program tomorrow at Hope Elementary School. We are facilitating the Junior Achievement Program for Kindergarteners.... I am sooooo excited! I want to do this program at Hedgepeth!

We're off to some ribs and bues music at a local restaurant! YUM.

shout out sejour whose iller than ill- feel better girl!

B-love, Dana

Ready Willing and Able Essence!

Day 2: Today we went to visit "Hosea Feed the Homeless" and our job was to sort out all of the can goods and separate them into different categories (soup, mixed vegetables, miscellaneous, etc). I never thought i would have so much fun separating cans. It started off with everyone separating into groups and organizing there own stacks of cans. Within an hour an a half into service, everyone got together and worked on one hugh "gaylord" box. G, Rodrig and I spent the majority of the time delivering cans to the their appropriate categories. We had A LOT of laughs and I truly enjoyed this service. By the end of the day, the bin that had approximately 1000 cans was empty... until tomorrow

Kenya (ABE)