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| Class gives students
concrete experience in prospective field |
April
Klaassen
Features Beat |
Jacque Lenz | The AppalachianSarah E. Lyerly, a senior social
work student from Columbia, S.C. decorates for the dance she
and her group organized for the Watauga Youth Network.
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Although their
group projects entailed a tremendous amount of time, hard work
and a few obstacles, the students in Mrs. Judy E. Kaplan’s
Social Work Practice class are smiling, not because the project
is finished but because the results are long-lasting.
Each year, Kaplan requires students to assist
a disenfranchised group of their choice through a community organization
or agency. Students assist these deprived segments of the population
in order to practice several social work skills including macro-intervention
(helping a large population), group-work and community intervention.
“I couldn’t teach it theoretically
and them get the whole concept of how it fits together without
it,” Kaplan said. “Every year, I ask students for feedback,
‘Could you have learned this theoretically without doing
this?’ The answer is always no.” |
This
year’s students split into three groups, working with O.A.S.I.S.,
High Country Amigos and Watauga Youth Network. Most students say
they chose their groups due to populations they hope to work with
after graduation.
The group working with O.A.S.I.S. raised money
through a benefit concert to begin a start-up fund, which will
be given to women and their children exiting O.A.S.I.S.’s
shelter, beginning a new life after suffering domestic violence
or rape. They also gathered donations of household products for
O.A.S.I.S. to distribute.
“I personally chose the group because
domestic violence has been something I’ve been interested
in and something I want to work with too,” said student Karen
A. Edmonds.
Working through Watauga Youth Network, one
group organized a Halloween dance for at-risk teens. They asked
Boone businesses for donations to pay for prizes and a DJ to improve
the annual fall dance at Watauga Youth Network. The dance gave
the teens something to do and provided a positive alternative
to at-risk behavior.
Through High Country Amigos, another group
organized material and a presentation for migrant women and children
on dental care. The idea came from Sarah M. William’s personal
experience. While watching children for a Hispanic women’s
group, Williams noticed some of the children’s teeth were
rotten due to lack of knowledge of proper dental care.
Each group faced a few challenges concerning
time, ethics and the law.
“We had to do ethical consideration and
make sure we weren’t breaking anything in our ethical code,”
said Erin M. Clonch, who worked with O.A.S.I.S. “Since we
were dealing with an agency, we had to make sure we got proper
permission to go about raising the money because there’s
a blackout period right now and United Way is the only place that
can raise money. They distribute that money to organizations,
so we had to be careful that we weren’t breaking any laws
within the blackout period.”
Regardless of conflict, students were satisfied with the results
and influenced the group with which they worked. The group working
with O.A.S.I.S. raised $367 and gathered enough supplies for three
or four families, Clonch said.
The turnout for the dental care presentation
was low, but group members remain positive that their hard work
will pay off eventually.
“It was a little bit disappointing,”
Williams said. “But I feel like it will have an impact because
of the information we provided. One lady that did attend was really
enthusiastic and excited about distributing it and sharing it
with the other women that attend the group.”
The group handed leftover dental-care packets to English as a
Second Language [ESL] students at Hardin Park Elementary School
and hope the information will be passed along by the kids to their
parents, said Hollie M. Tucker.
Attendance at the dance was lower than expected,
but group members still felt the project was successful and rewarding.
“It would have been great if there was
a better turn out,” said Summer E. Bost. “But there
was a positive reaction from everybody and the kids were satisfied,
so it was rewarding in that way.”
Students said this project was unlike other projects they have
had in classes. Through the project, they gained a myriad of knowledge
and experience, including more awareness of the needs of the population
with whom they worked.
“We didn’t know how hard it was for
women who were starting out,” Clonch said. “You don’t
really realize how hard it is for them to just have cleaning supplies
and things like trash bags and trash cans and stuff when they’re
starting out on their own.”
For some students, the project gave a taste of what their lives
may be like after graduation.
“It gives me better insight into my future
as a social worker and what it really entails,” Tucker said.
“It was some real-life hands-on experience before I get into
my field.”
The project also assured students they are headed in the right
direction in regards to their area of interest.
“I already I knew I wanted to work with
domestic violence,” Edmonds said. “[The project] made
me more passionate about that, making me more aware of statistics
and what really goes on at O.A.S.I.S. and at the shelter.”
Students said they saw results they would not see from normal
class work.
“It definitely feels like you’re
doing something that really makes a difference and you’re
really learning real-life issues,” Tucker said. “You
can see the definite benefit of your work in the lives of other
people. When you’re writing papers, you’re writing papers
for your own knowledge and are just gaining knowledge and nothing
really concrete and immediate comes out of it.”
Although the project is finished, its influence on the community
and the students’ lives will carry on.
“I’m honored to be the instructor
that provides the opportunity, even though it’s a required
opportunity, and then watch them actually help a significant portion
of the population,” Kaplan said. “It’s really rewarding
for me to watch them. They really should get all the credit because
they do all the work.” |
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