With spring break right around the corner, our College Project Managers are getting to their half way points on the projects. They are just as excited for spring break too, but more excited about how their projects are coming along. Take a look for yourselves and learn a little about the field trips that they have taken.
“I have been
working with students at Bay View High School Thursday evenings in an after
school program. This past Thursday was actually a really fun week for the
students. We went on a field trip to Joan's Island. Many student's did not know
what Joan's Island was and they were able to become educated with the idea of
water sanitation and the ins and outs of what it requires to run a sanitation
plant. We met at the High School and talked about the trip a little bit, and
then around 4:45 we took a bus to Joan's Island.
I think this field trip was very
important because of the student's water based projects. These students are
interviewing and photographing people who are underrepresented in the Milwaukee
water facilities. Majority of the people they are talking to who are
underrepresented are women and people of different races, other than white. We
were able to tour the sanitation facility, see the stages in which the water is
filtered, and in addition the employee who gave us a tour of the island spoke
to us about the job availability, which seems pretty abundant. She stated that
someone could go to a 2 year college and receive an associate’s degree, work in
water sanitation and make more than a teacher's salary.
I think many of the students really enjoyed the sanitation plant because
it gave them a chance to experience something they normally would not. Also, it
was just a chance to get them out of a classroom sitting in front of computers
and give them first hand knowledge about how the sanitation process works. This
field trip was a great experience overall from the students and for myself as a
college project manager.”
-Cleo Stenzel
“My project has been coming along on schedule and the high schoolers have
been giving their
all to make sure the blog comes together and
gets completed. As far as barriers, the only barrier that we have come across
is attendance.
I feel that my role is meaningful in the project because I was able to
lend extra hands and assist with the research and editing so that we could
submit a professional and complete project. Thankfully, I have been able to be
engaged with the students and they have been able to teach me a thing or two as
well.”
-Kimberly Schmidt
“My team of students are making steady progress on their project; during
the two field trips in the last two weeks, they took photos and conducted
interviews with people who worked there.
The only potential barriers at this point might be whether or not they
will all collaborate on completing the project. Some students seem more engaged
than others – however, I think the levels of enthusiasm and positivity at
meetings have improved from what I saw just a few weeks ago. I have a feeling
that a good deal of that will be overcome once they are in the stage of
designing the look of the site, choosing the photos, and being able to see
their work on all the different parts of the project starting to come together as
a finished product.
I feel engaged and comfortable
with the students – it’s a solid group. I’ve had a few good conversations with
a couple of them and they have been more responsive than not. I actually do
feel like a meaningful role in the project as well – by stroke of luck, my art
experience has come in rather handy! I’ll be able to help them along more
actively with their decisions in designing the site, I was able to provide
suggestions for exhibition spaces, and I’ll be bringing in my mat-cutter and
teaching them how to cut matboard frames to make the presentation of the photos
really pop.”
-Christopher Miller
“My team project seems to be coming alone OKAY. The students are very
burnt out and I think they are already in spring break mode. I still think
there is a lot of work to be done before next week's video shooting. I feel as
though each time I come the kids are doing less and less, but I try my best to
get them motivated. Our group still may need to practice their scripts more
before next week and they also need to finish making the water superhero's
costume. In other words, there's a lot of work to be done in a small amount of
time. I have faith.
The barriers to my team's success would definitely be their
attitudes and lack of motivation towards the entire project. Each time I show
up on Wednesday afternoons, the group has a very slow start to whatever it is
we need to accomplish for the day. However, I think about halfway through
the meeting, I can generally get whomever I'm working with more in the
"zone".
Yes and No. There are some days that I come in and can
really get a majority of the group motivated to do the water project, and there
are other days where I feel completely useless because it all starts with the
students. They need to take an interest first in this project and feel
passionate enough to want to be there. I try my best to emphasize the
importance of the project, but in reality, they're teenagers! I think in order
to become even more engaged, I could offer to help more when it comes to the
tasks they are unsure how to begin. For an example, Molly told a few
member of the group last week to start making the cape for the superhero. The
two group members just starred at each other like they had no idea what to do.
That's when I jumped in, took their cape, and started to give a million
different ideas on how to make this sheet a cool looking cape. I'd say at that
moment I saw their light bulbs turn on. Sometimes everyone just needs a little
push.”
-Aimee Dobersztyn
“Working at the Bayview high school has been a very great
experience. This experience has shown me what student's learn throughout their
community and what they can do for their future. Our project is working in the
water industry throughout Milwaukee. This project is coming around very well.
Our student's are very dedicated and working well. They all have their independent
roles and work hard to complete them. For this project we have one complicated
barrier. Attendance.
Weeks go by and attendance is usually great or really low.
Attendance is one component that we need to work on to have success. Success is
exactly what we need to accomplish this project. Furthermore, I think being a
College Project Manager is a very helping tool to our students. Us being there
is someone they can ask questions to and if they need help. I think a College
Project Manager means to them as a guide or helper and is someone they can
relate to because of not the wide age difference. I think its important that we
engage with the student's so it shows them we are interested in their projects
and we want to learn more.
I think this service learning project is very interesting and
unique. It doesn't compare to the other service learning projects which is why
it is unique. I am thankful that I get to be apart of this service learning
project because it is working around kids and it is a good experience for my
future career.”
-Mercedes Brown
"The
team project is coming along great. Spring break for the school I am helping
out with is coming up soon, so the projects are speeding up quick. The group is
on the finishing touches to their project. All that they have left is to put
their actual voices in the presentation that they made. The students made a
slideshow and are editing the slideshow to replace the computer voices and put
in their own voices. This is the last step with their project. The slideshow is
complete.
The
barriers that the team is dealing with is that students are not showing up to
Lead to Succeed. This is causing a problem within the group. Some of the
students for whatever reason cannot make the Tuesday class and because of this
do not know what is happening when they return. So the students who do show up
are reminding them what they have done or showing them what they are going to
do. Some students are now joining Lead to Succeed, so plugging them into groups
is difficult. The reason why it is difficult is because the new students do not
know what is happening and trying to find a role for them can be challenging.
The way that we overcome the problems is easy. We inform them what needs to be
done and how they can be included within the group. Each student has a job that
they need to do and when someone new comes in they help them out. The students
are excited about doing this project. So, when someone new shows up they want
to inform them on what is happening and are inviting them to be part of the
group.
I
do feel that I am part of the project. I try to ask as many questions as to why
the students are doing this or doing that. I am trying to be part of the group
and maybe give suggestions when students are stuck on what to say or write. I
may not know much about what they are doing but I try to explain to them what
they could do, or where to look up information. I try to be part of the group
just like everyone else tries to do. I feel that if you act like a group member
and not like their boss, it is much better for you and for the students to get
focused and do their project."
-Joel Guidinger
