6th Graders on Mars!
I have had the opportunity to do something amazing through this program—well, it's amazing in my eyes. At the University of Washington Bothell, there is a program called Space Huskies. College students like me go into a fifth or sixth grade classrooms and build a project with the middle-school students. They are told a new colony is moving to Mars and they need to figure out how they will breathe, eat, work, exercise, move around, and more.
The students are divided into groups based on their interests and are assigned to a team leader (me). My group had to work on transportation on Mars. It was up to them to decide what they were going to build, how they were going to showcase it, and type an essay describing the project.
Through the eight weeks that I was there, I saw these students' imagination take form. They were working together as a group even when they were under pressure. They formed bonds and really believed in what they were doing. Overall, they created a fantastic car that could be useful to the colonists on Mars and they taught me some lessons that I will keep with me for a long time.
~Xheni Diko
The Girl Scouts Garden
AA
As a Girl Scout leader of 6 Cadets ages 12-13, I find myself challenged in keeping the girls motivated and excited about staying involved with the troop. While walking through their junior high school, I was surprised to find an area near the entrance unattended and overgrown. After speaking with the school counselor and the principal, I found that the school was receptive to the idea that the cadet troop could lead a clean-up project in the entrance courtyard. Wary of the girls' response, I was surprised to find that they wanted to complete the project on their own, without the help from other troops. During discussions in which I posed questions about financing the project, the girls decided that they would find sponsors who would financially support enhancing the courtyard. The troop determined that they would need mulch, top soil and new plants for the area.
The Cadets scheduled two days for this project. The first day was spent cleaning the area: overgrown plants were cut back, weeds were pulled, and debris was removed from the area. The second day was spent bringing in top soil, mulch and plants to the courtyard. Some of the girls took turns pressure-washing a patio in the back of the courtyard while others planted geraniums, hostas, pansies and a Japanese maple tree. One of the girls and another troop leader hung lights that had been donated on a fence at the back of the courtyard. After a lunch break, the girls spent another couple of hours working in the area.
Throughout the day, I expected the girls to lose their focus on finishing the project. But I was amazed and proud as they worked as a team and accomplished much in a short period of time. A few weeks later, I was at the school for an evening band performance and noticed a woman looking at the courtyard area as I walked down the hallway. She stopped me, pointed to the courtyard, and asked, "Has this always been here?" Her comment was priceless, as was the satisfaction that the girls had worked together so well.
~Yvonne Dingman