Week 3

In FAS 331 Marriage & Family Relationships, I learned about the concept of divorce and how it has a substantial effect on the financial settings of a single parent household. While this may seem obvious, we spent a full week and a half convering the dynamics of this issue alone. We dissected every aspect of how financial stressors can be emotionally, mentally and cognitively harful for the children especially. This concept is being applied in my internship as we set out to work hands-on with children living in poverty-stricken neighborhoods. I personally have visited with children who only own one pair or jeans or have holes in their oonly pair of sneakers. Of course the majority of the children who deal with these stressors are usually (but not always) from broken homes or single parent households. As one may infer, only having one pair of shoes may hinder a child's self confidence, performance in school and behavioral and cognitive development. At Chances for Children, we have been fortunate enough to have Nike donate pairs of shows to the most dedicated of children who have pledged to run the kids Rock n Roll marathon.
A theory I learned in CDE 337 Early Childhood Intervention, we covered several theories. Perhaps the most significant was the notion that (obviously) early intervention by a caretaker can drastically help enhance the life of a child born at-risk. We are putting this theory into practice at CFC; our entire existence lies on the foundation of enhancing the lives of these children and educating them on the importance of healthy decision making and physical fitness. Rather then waiting until these children are teenagers or young adults to inform them, we are stepping into the scence and intervening by implementing fun ways for them to get excited about being healthy NOW. It is very rewarding!
In TCL 363 Transborder Chicano Literature, a concept we focused on heavily was 'identity'. There were several aspects to the single notion of identity and we spent ample time dissecting this issue. With primary focus on literature by immigrant and minority men and women this class provided an overwhelming sense of identity as a Latina student. It was interesting and beneficial to engage in readings that provided stories from the perspectice of Chicano writers. In addition, the stories and novels also provided a sense of empathy and remorse for the pain and misery they endured. Obviously, in working with immigrants, I feel as though I already have "their" stories etched in my heart. Especially in regards to children living in impoverished conditions, I consider the importance of knowing and enhancing one's own identity. This internship allows us to get the kids excited about shaping their very own identity-as healthy little athletes who make the choice to choose fruits and veggies over junk food.
Sexuality and gender roles were concepts we focused on heavily in TCL 485 Chicana Latina Writers. We learned about how women have often times remained quiet with self expression out of fear. It was interesting for me to read about how some of these women took years before finaally coming out and being proud of who they were domestically, physically and even sexually. Their stories were captivating and inspirting. At Chances for Children, we are currently in the process of organizing a Women's Only half marathon. It is our hopes that women of all ages will step out of their confort zones and do something they have never tried before...we want to empower them!