So Much Service!

Monday was a day of hustle and bustle, a unique opportunity to get to know the sixth graders. The entire Seabrook team, Allie (our Resource Development Project Leader) and some members of the Young Heroes team went to Exchange City. It is a program with sites around the country that lets middle school students experience what it's like to work for a business, pay bills and spend their money wisely. The sixth grade class at Seabrook Middle School had been preparing for this day for a month. Each student had a different role: some were postal workers, others were in charge of distributing goods and one student was the town mayor. I thought it was an exciting way to learn about the real world and its stresses and joys.

I helped out in the bank, working with the bank president, the accountant and the tellers. They were an excellent group of kids, working hard throughout the day to make sure the deposits from businesses and people were handled correctly. Things definitely got chaotic when the Exchange City citizens were given their paychecks. The bank office was flooded with students trying to deposit their paychecks. Through it all, the bank tellers remained relatively civil. I think it's good that these students are exposed to the stress of real life, as long as they are reminded that their schooling will help prepare them to deal with the madness of the adult world.

After our time at Exchange City came to an end, we decided to go get lunch. While walking the streets of Dover, I heard a country riff emanating from a man's pick-up truck. I gave a fist pump in appreciation but what I got in return was, "What the f*** are you looking at?" Chris, my team leader, was walking with me; he stopped and stared at the guy. It was a very disarming experience. My mind was rattled for the next hour, simply because I felt accosted. It's always strange to hear such negativity directed at me or other corps members when we're in our City Year uniforms. I feel like everyone loves us, but reality sets in. Some people don't know us, don't respect us or are just having bad days. I shouldn't take it personally. I need to convert that anger into positive energy for those around me – especially those who are sending out that negativity into the cosmos.

Tuesday was the only day this week that we were in class and I made it count. Even though we usually miss first period on Tuesdays because we're doing PT, I was able to make it to math only a few minutes late. The students had been given a worksheet on two-step equations the day before, but were moving back into proportions. I was able to teach one student how to do those equations really quickly, solidifying my belief that these students are capable of anything if you give them the proper motivation and attention.

In social studies, the students watched a video on child soldiers in Sierra Leone and their adjustment back to a more peaceful society. It was gripping and emotional for me and I know that many students were saddened by it. But the most encouraging moment from one of my students came from "Sally." She had been taking notes during the movie for the assigned reflection paper. As the movie drew to a close, the narrator told the viewers to check out the UN's website on ways to help. Sally furtively scribbled down the address. I don't care if she forgets to check it out later. Just knowing that in that instant she was interested in learning how she can help people she'll never meet – man, that's our whole job, making people realize that we're all dependent on each other.

Tuesday held another victory. I still needed to secure movie passes for our dodgeball tournament prizes. Chris and I ventured down to Vision Max Cinema in neighboring Salisbury to drop off the in-kind letter to the manager. I was pleasantly surprised when he said, "Oh, yeah. How many do you need?" and went to his office to get five passes for us. This was a moment of joy for me because I'll be doing this type of stuff all of next year. I knew I was capable of it – I just needed to get my first victory.

The Seabrook team spent Wednesday morning at Hampton Beach. But we weren't there for the beautiful views – we were there to help out the Blue Ocean Society with a beach clean up. Timberland, one of our national sponsors, organized multiple Earth Day projects for Wednesday, Thursday and a day next week. My team was with a few other City Year teams, some people from Timberland and roughly 200 middle school students. This particular service project involved a lot of standing around and waiting for the students; they were responsible for collecting most of the trash. We didn't lie around all day, though. My teammate Bear, my good friend Dylan and I teamed up and combed the beach for trash. We only collected about four pounds of trash, but that hour on the beach was great. I don't often get the chance to slow down and talk to my fellow corps members during the day. Wednesday gave me the opportunity, so it was a success.

Next up: Earth Day, Big Ol' Day of Prep, GYSD Eve – otherwise known as Thursday. We spent almost the entire day finishing up last minute preparations for GYSD at Seabrook Middle School. Some people stenciled the front mural at the school, others went to South Main Street park to work. I was all over the place. We had to pick up mulch in Hampton Falls, then come back to school to unload a big truck trailer with athletic dirt. There was a lot going on but nothing too extreme. Lunchtime was a nice break. We went to the Seabrook Rec Center for lunch with a special guest – Taylor, our team buddy! He bought us all ice cream which we ate under the shade of the trees on the trail. It was relaxing but then it was back to work. The afternoon went very quickly but we got everything done by 5:30 – a thrilling victory.

Friday was the final day of a mega-crazy week. It could have been incredibly stressful, but for me it was amazing. The morning started with some preparation, a presentation to the school and the whole shebang started. I was stationed at the front of the school working with the art teacher and a bunch of eighth graders hand-picked for the project. Because we had picked certain students, we ran into trouble when we realized a few were absent. But the art teacher was very flexible; we took a few students from other groups and got to work.

The mural was designed to complement the two past City Year teams had already painted on the other sides of the front planter. The mural painted last year featured various outstanding places found along Route 1and the other was a celebration of the beach. The mural we painted this year focused on the state of New Hampshire as a whole and featured the state insignia, such as the state mascot (The Old Man of the Mountain) and the state bug (ladybug). The absolute best part of this week was watching a group of students work intently on this mural, using small paintbrushes to fill in the small pieces. Our whole goal with this day is to give students a chance to serve, to create a transformation in their communities. If they have ownership of something, they'll have pride in it and will want to protect it. I'm glad that my eighth graders got to leave behind something when they graduate.

In the afternoon, after the students were done with the projects, my mom showed up to check our service. She got the chance to meet my best friends and fellow corps members, help out a little bit with cleanup and even participate in an authentic Seabrook debrief. Welcoming people from outside of City Year into our circles and service is the best way to show others how powerful a group of young idealists can be. It was a great day!