Week of the Young Child

Last week, April 11th through 17th, was the Week of the Young Child (WOYC).  Celebrations were in full-swing at Mi Escuelita, culminating in a carnival for our students and their parents on Friday. While it was a week of fun on campus, one of the main objectives of WOYC is to spotlight the needs of young children and their families.  The mission of Mi Escuelita aims to teach English to children from all cultures and to prepare them for academic success.  Reaching this goal presents several obstacles that our community must combat.  Some of the issues facing the preschool include:
-Limited English proficiency at home.
-Living at or below the federal poverty line.
-No family history of educational attainment.

Although these barriers certainly challenge our staff and our teachers, in partnership with the community, we have begun to surmount them.  So, when you smile at pictures of our children donning their bunny slippers and bathrobe for Pajama Day (Monday), remember that our children need continued access to high-quality early childhood programs, like Mi Escuelita.  After all, we can either invest now in our children and enjoy a more vibrant nation of healthy, achieving children.  Or we can fail to make the investment and pay the price: increased delinquency, greater educational failures, lowered productivity, less economic competitiveness, and fewer adults prepared to be effective, loving parents to the next generation of children.

A Day in the Life of a Volunteer

 I am a student at SMU and I volunteer at Mi Escuelita 2-4 hours a week. I really enjoy my time at Mi Escuelita because of the kids, staff, and opportunities that I have to get involved and help out. I come in the afternoons after the kids wake up from their naps. The kids slowly roll off of their cots and are not quite awake when I get there but after a snack they are jumping with energy! I love the interaction with the kids and helping them with small projects. The main purpose of volunteering at Mi Escuelita is to help the kids practice speaking English. It is also great practice for me because I get to practice listening and understanding Spanish to help them learn the English words. For example I was cutting out lady bugs one day and some of the kids in the class came to the table and wanted to cut also so they decided to cut out some hearts. One little girl asked me to draw her a “Corazon” so that she could cut it out and I said “a heart?” She was confused until I drew the heart and pointed at it saying “heart” and I had her practice saying the word. She got it after pronouncing the word a few times and now every time we cut out hearts I always have her practice saying “heart”.
    After the kids play inside for a little while at their different play stations, we then go outside. The kids love playing out doors because they can finally run around! They enjoy taking turns on the swings so I help by pushing them. I am trying to teach them how to pump their legs and swing by themselves. It is quite a  task for kids their age and I have forgotten how it is something that is learned and not a natural movement.  I also try to help the children practice saying please. When I push them on the swings I have them say please to ask for me to push them. At first they were confused by the idea and could not remember the word but afterwards they figured out that when they said please I would push them. I love watching the kids learn at Mi Escuelita. The school is run very well and all of the teachers and staff are helpful, sweet, and always trying their best. If you love children and volunteering, I would definitely recommend Mi Escuelita.

Post written by Gloria Steinke, Mi Escuelita volunteer from SMU.

A Volunteer's Perspective

In my last post, I mentioned the butterfly effect.  The metaphor may seem trite (read: there’s even an Ashton Kutcher movie thus entitled), but it certainly encapsulates the experience and impact of a volunteer at Mi Escuelita.  The crew of dedicated volunteers contributes so much, but at times, the individual’s work feels so tiny – like the flutter of butterfly’s wing. When I think back to my first afternoon in the classroom reading stories, I can only marvel at these alacritous and ambitious kids.  They switch from Spanish to English as easily as they do a silent nap to raucous play.  I find the children’s spirit and their growth truly remarkable.  The cynic’s assessment that helping a teacher hang the students’ latest art project represents tedium more than progress is, however, irrefutably contravened by the number of big hugs from tiny arms.  To the kids (and the teachers and the staff), it’s these little things that not only make a big difference, but make all the difference.
Interested in making a difference?  Check out volunteer opportunities here: http://www.miescuelita.org/volunteer.php

This post was contributed by Sarah Stinnett, a Mi Escuelita volunteer from Southern Methodist University.