Values Clarification

OUR HIGHS OF THE WEEK

Sammi: My high of the week was visiting the United Action for Youth center! UAY provides children and youth with various resources to overcome challenges and goes above and beyond to bridge the gap for minorities. UAY is an organization anyone would be proud to be part of, and I am glad I can spread awareness about UAY! P.S Volunteer opportunities are available!

Chloe: My high of the week was playing outside with the elementary students. It took me by surprise when they requested I play Drake on the speaker for them to do TikTok dances to. Very fun to learn some moves from the kids!

Faith: My high of the week was playing volleyball with the children at the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County. After our hard clean-up work at the center, it was fun to meet the kids going there for after-school activities. It was even more fun to meet them while trying to beat their butts in volleyball. Of course, they were the champions and beat us: 12-2.

Rachel: My high of the week was the nice weather with the children at Alexander Elementary school. They are so young, yet so smart and aware of their surroundings. It was sad leaving the kids because you could tell even a short visit it made an impact for them.

VALUES

" a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life "

Chloe, Faith, and Rachel snapping a quick pic after editing their website!

T E A M W O R K

Our week of service was full of fun, learning, teaching, and experiencing new things. Our week consisted of a multitude of team bonding exercises to deepen our team dynamic and relationship. By doing such extensive team-building activities, we were able to accomplish more as a team than we would've without it. We were more cohesive and successful in our goals by having a tight-knit group. The importance of teamwork was crucial in our trip as it made us more adaptable, flexible, inclusive, and overall stronger individuals. Teamwork was used to adapt to situations on the fly, work through our action plans, and gain insight into others' thoughts and ideas. By working as a team, we were able to utilize both our empathetic and emotional intelligence to serve our community as best we could. We learned so much about resources and available volunteering options in our local community which I feel all of us will continue to participate in.

-Rachel Olson

“Teamwork makes the dream work.”

― John C. Maxwell

C R E A T I V I T Y

Over the past week, I found that leaders need to be creative when involved in youth mentorship, and I saw this, especially with our local group, the United Action for Youth. This non-profit excels with creative problem solving, in which they search for an original and previously unknown solution to solve unique issues.

When touring their facility, the directors introduced a couple of the programs they've developed to help the local youth in the community. One program that stuck out to me was Spark. This program introduces children to different hobbies, hoping one or several ideas interest the child. The dream for this program is to connect children with hobbies in hopes that they find their Spark or passion and what makes them unique. By coming up with so many creative programs and solutions, United Action for Youth has significantly impacted the lives of the youth in their community.

-Faith Lang

“Creativity is intelligence having fun.”

― Albert Einstein

Faith asking if she could join the volleyball game the kids were playing during their lunch break at the Neighborhood Center.

Chloe's epic train tracks! CHOO CHOO

C O M P A S S I O N

When reflecting on my values before the service trip, I noted compassion as one of my most important. Feeling and acting on concern for others through compassionate action is something I strive toward doing because our words and deeds have an incredible influence on how other people feel. With that power, I try my best to interact with others in a way that will uplift and motivate them instead of discouraging them. During the trip, I saw the impact of compassion firsthand. When one of the students struggled in a basketball game with his friend, he became visibly frustrated and threatened to quit altogether. To instill hope in him, I suggested that if he attempted a few more throws he could make it. Sure enough, he made improvements, and I continued to validate and encourage his progress from the sidelines. He left the gym for recess with a smile and a sense of achievement that he had made multiple shots in a row. I did not realize the effect of my comments until the same boy hugged and waved me goodbye at the end of the day. Compassion, even if it is just a few encouraging words can help foster the confidence a child needs to achieve their goal.

-Chloe Rohlf

“Compassion is the basis of morality.”

― Arthur Schopenhauer

I N C L U S I O N

The Hawkeye Service Breaks service trip was a week full of new learnings, growth, and insight into the opportunities and resources available for youth in and around Iowa City. While the week varied from interactions with children to understanding and advancing non-profit organizations, I realized just how bright the future can be for children with access to youth mentorship and the advancement of well-being. Although, this can not happen without inclusion. Inclusion promotes acceptance of all identities, creating a safe, belonging, environment. By being inclusive, organizations are showing youth that everyone matters. Youth are far more likely to feel a sense of belonging, and become more inclusive of others. One of my highlights of the week was speaking to a boy with autism for two hours about dinosaurs! He seemed so happy just to be included and have someone listen, and I now know that brontosaurus' are pretty cool! If we can be more inclusive throughout our youth mentorship and day to day life, I believe we are all one step closer towards becoming active citizens.

-Sammi Tawharu

“When everyone is included, everyone wins.”

—Jesse Jackson