Kristina Merced: "The last two days in the city of Atlanta has been both eye opening and inspiring experience. One of the first things that we did was visit the campuses of both Morehouse And Spelman colleges. Walking through the campus I could see the impact that the civil right movement had on both institutions. The passion felt by the students at the colleges for this movement could still be felt and was currently present in the college by different tributes that they had to Martin Luther King. It was something that I really admired.
The second place that we visited was the the Martin Luther King Jr. National memorial. This site was able to give me more of a detailed history of the civil rights movement. The stories of what all these men and women went through literally bought me to tears. There was so much to learn that I did not know. It made me think of what I would've done if I was alive during this time. "
Tommy M: "Today was a great time. we got to sort and pack books to be sent to children in Africa, and then also tutor 4th graders in an inner city elementary school. our service was a blast and it was nice to be able to directly help the youth of the city, and also youth across the world. I hope to continue with the great work we are doing down here."
Mike Northcutt: "Our trip to Atlanta so far has been so much fun. Today we began our device and volunteered for books for Africa. This was a great experience because not only did we help organza books for the staff that work there, we also reached out to a third world country and helped them out. Another one of my
favorite parts of the trip was going to the mlk historic site and learning everything about the civil rights movement. Im excited for the remainder of the trip!"
Desiree Aviles: "Today, we were able to go to two different sites. The first site was Books for Africa. This nonprofit organization takes donations of books, sorts them out into subject levels and grade levels, and then schools and organizations in Africa can order books for only the shipping costs. In the short time we were there we were really able to help out and sort books and it was a great bonding experience. Later on we were able to go to an elementary school and work with kids at the after school program. I was really able to relate and compare this site with ASA. At this afterschool program, each class had about 8 students and a teacher running the class. We were able to work with a kid one-on-one which I really enjoyed. The kids were very well behaved and the teachers were great. They had a pre and post test of what they had taught the kids during the program today which I thought was a great idea. Volunteering at the afterschool program here was really different from ASA. The teachers were really organized and did not have to yell or even tell the students to behave once. It was very pleasant and they even had adult volunteers to help out. I would like to take back some of the things I noticed that they do that works and bring it back to our site. So far, I am really enjoying myself with these service sites and exploring Atlanta and I am excited to volunteer at the other sites the next to days."
Bridget M: "Growing up, I went to Atlanta a lot, since I have family down here. I absolutely love this city. If I ever wanted to leave Jersey, I would move here. It has such amazing history and the people here are so nice. Yesterday we went to Morehouse and Spelman and then to the MLK museum and park. Seeing Morehouse and Spelman was great. Those schools have such amazing histories and Blaire was a great tour guide. She talked about graduation at Spelman and how women from each graduating year (starting from like '33 I think) would process out in front of the current graduating seniors. That must be such a powerful event to see. The MLK museum was really powerful, as was the memorial in DC. The DC memorial had some of his quotes on a wall surrounding the actual monument. Even though I've heard the quotes before, reading them again provided some much needed inspiration and motivation in regards to the sites I am involved in at Bonner.
Today we started service. We spent the morning at Books for Africa. It is a really great organization which sorts and packages books for people in Africa. During the afternoon, we tutored at an elementary school in Atlanta, which I really enjoyed. The kids were adorable. They also had really cool study tools. The fourth grader I was working with was using an online program called Study Island. The school in Hamilton that I'm student teaching at has it as well. It has interactive games that the kids seem to really enjoy. I wish Hedgepeth had something like this. The kids love computers and I think it could really benefit them."
Priscilla G: "So far I've really been enjoying our trip to Atlanta. Today we had the opportunity to serve at two different sites: Books for Africa and the elementary school where Alex Berger currently teaches. At Books for Africa we sorted a variety of books ranging from elementary textbooks to college leveled books, that will later be donated to different regions of Africa . I was very impressed with this site because they had a clear mission statement and seemed to be achieving their goals. At the elementary school, we tutored students at an afterschool program for about two hours. While this experience reminded me of the service we do at ASA, I also observed many differences between this afterschool program and ours. For example, there were teachers present and they were the ones leading the activities for the day. Volunteering at this site made me think about ways in which we could implement some of the strategies/activities we observed into our program. Overall today was a great service day and I am looking forward to the rest of the week. "
Albert: "These past two past has been very powerful. During out travels to atl we stop in DC to visits the MLK memorial; the passages the left me inspired.The next morning we travel to the MLK museum which was by far the most moving experience so far for me because it allowed me to see authentic footage, photos, and news clippings of his life of service.
Today we visited alex Berger a fellow bonner alum who teaches at a local ATL school. We tutored n hung out wit a group of 4th graders they were really cool; they made my day. I work one on one with a kid name Rico Lyons, who was a beast at math! We also volunteered for books for Africa, anon profit that provides education books for african students of all ages. "
DJ: "So far I have had an amazing time here in Atlanta. I really enjoyed stopping at the Martin Luther King Memorial in DC yesterday--it was very powerful and cool to see at night. Going from there to the center of where much of the civil rights movement began, and King's birthplace and home, really added to the significance of that moment. Visiting the MLK historic site here and Spellman and Moorehouse allowed to see some of the most important places in the movement. Today we did service at Books For Africa and the school of a Bonner alumni. I really enjoyed both of these experiences;book sorting was great because we made a lot of progress and we got to enjoy each others company, the school was great becauext two days and to get to know my fellow bonners more. I am really glad to be able to be on this trip and can't wait to see what else it brings."
Ashley Covello: "It's hard to believe it's already Wednesday evening. Thus far, I have thoroughly enjoyed all of why we've done. The drive down, although long and tiring, enabled me to form relationships and get to know the Bonners who I haven't gotten the opportunity to spend time with in the past. I was moved by the Martin Luther King Jr. monument and memorial and notably shocked at how many incredible women were involved with the establishment of Spelman College.
Today flew by. I loved getting to know the logistics of and getting to help out with the organization Books for Africa. It is incredible to find that the individuals who run the non-profit are only part time employees and the organization thrives off of individuals like us. I also found it interesting to understand how particular BFA is about the sorting and distribution of books by age and subject. Additionally, helping tutor at an elementary after school program in Atlanta was rewarding and reminded me so much of the Hedgepath students."
Natasha: "Going on this trip for a second time has been both, a blessing and a reminder.... As we go on our normal routine it is very easy to allow the stress of our daily lives to overcome the purpose in our lives and how much work is still left to be done. Thus far, this trip has been a reminder of the type of woman I want to be and the impact of change one person can have on an entire race. Visting the MLK museum brought me tears of sorrow and pride. The vivid images of hatred combined with the relentless fight for your rights is unexplainable. The overall museum visit was food for thought and def instilled motivation. Today, we sorted books for Africa and tutored kids at Berger's school. The overall experience was fun and meaningful. On top of all of this, we have a GREAT group! :-)
