A Few Weeks in

It’s been about a few weeks since I started working at Sport in Society and I like it a lot so far. My favorite part about working at Sport in Society would have to be tutoring on the Mobile Learning Lab. The bus is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen – and the kids are awesome too.

 

When I was walking to the bus on the first day, I was a little bit nervous. I didn’t know what it would be like. Would the kids be nice? Would the kids be receptive to my tutoring? I was pleasantly surprised with the kids’ work ethic and focus. And still, after two weeks, I have yet to have a kid give me much of a hard time. I was in high school not too long ago, and I know how tough it can be to focus and try hard after a long day of school, so I appreciate the kids being so receptive to my tutoring.

I’m excited to continue on with my work on the Mobile Learning Lab.

 

I’ve also really enjoyed being in the Sport in Society office. Caitlin and Ricardhy have been very effective in teaching me and the other co-ops about what Sport in Society is all about, and I’m excited to continue to learn more.

 

Next week, we will be partaking in the MVP violence prevention training and I’m very excited for it. I expect it to be a fun and fulfilling experience.

Off To The Races

The spring ’13 co-op team began its tenure at Sport In Society last week. We started with a weeklong training and orientation. Essentially, this was a five-day team building exercise. Not only did we learn more about the organization, we were also able to bond and become acquainted with one another.

The orientation agenda was very well structured. It included formal talking points, but also left room for discussion and fun activities. The discussions and activities definitely attenuated those awkward moments that can occur when a group of strangers gets together.

One of my favorite activities, at the orientation, was the Agree or Disagree game. In it, a series of declaratory statements are read and participants must state whether they “agree” or “disagree” with the statement. Each person then must explain his or her respective stance. Through this exercise we were all given an insightful look at our teammates.

Perhaps the most exciting activity was the SIS scavenger hunt. The 5 of us were split into two teams, given a list of objectives and set off on our hunt. The hunt was a cool way for us to get more familiar with Boston. It also gave us a sneak peek of the schools that we’d be visiting on the Verizon Mobile Learning Lab. For me, navigating on the hunt was easy because I was familiar with the areas we had to visit. My partner, Nichole, and I tore up the streets of Roxbury and Dorchester taking pictures at every stop.

One of the highlights, while on the hunt, was when I passed by my old apartment building. It was nostalgic walking through the neighborhood and breathing in that crisp Dorchester air. I even got to visit one of the playgrounds that I came to as a kid.  I haven’t moved away, but I’m home less often now that I’m in school. It felt like I was getting back to my roots. Being on the MLL will be even more fulfilling as I’ll be working right in my community.

This is sure to be a fun packed semester. We have an awesome team of co-ops and interns that is enthusiastic about our work. I’m excited for what is to come over the next six months. We’re off to the races!