Our First Trip Meeting
Our first meeting as a team was awesome! We finally got to meet one another and talk more about our trip and how great it is going to be!!!
Before we met as a group, all the trips met together to talk about the history of these break trips at UT (22 year tradition!!!) and to discuss the Active Citizen Continuum. We found that many of the participants found themselves at different points on this continuum, but that we were all excited to make the progression to understanding more about our trip's theme.
After meeting as a program, we all were able to split up into our individual teams! We got situated in our room and played an 'active' ice breaker to get to know one another. After the suspense had grown enough, the trip location was revealed through hangman: 'The Gateway City'! We are all very excited to serve in this community and more information on why we chose St. Louis can be seen below.
After we revealed the location, we refocused on the theme of our trip and the type of work we will be doing during our break. We will be volunteering on our trip at Easter Seals Midwest, Emmaus Home, LifeBridge Partnership, and the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis. All of these organizations do amazing things for people with disabilities in St. Louis, and we cannot wait to join them in just a few weeks!!!
We also covered some of the important logistical aspects of our trip and talked about the work we will be doing before we leave for spring break. We have some service that we will be doing in Knoxville before we leave, and we will be going through some pre-trip training to better prepare ourselves.
Our first meeting was definitely a success and it eased some worries. We are now so excited to serve and learn together!!! Only 26 days left!!!
We also covered some of the important logistical aspects of our trip and talked about the work we will be doing before we leave for spring break. We have some service that we will be doing in Knoxville before we leave, and we will be going through some pre-trip training to better prepare ourselves.
Our first meeting was definitely a success and it eased some worries. We are now so excited to serve and learn together!!! Only 26 days left!!!
Why We Chose St. Louis
Bereft of its former fur trading outposts, St. Louis's nickname and famously looming arch harken back to its unsettled past. Despite being known for its fascinating history, it's the things the city is not known for that may define its future.
In a city of just under 320,000, an estimated 60,000 of its residents have been diagnosed with some form of disability. This puts it rate of persons with disabilities at nineteen percent or seven percent above the national average. It is a city with a clear need for programming for persons with disabilities. While the city has created many great programs, it, like many cities, has many residents who are not educated on these programs or persons with disabilities. They are a group who have only relatively recently begun to see legislation and awareness go their way.
Our rationale for picking St. Louis is two-fold. During the break trip, participants will have the opportunity to help many great organizations in a city with a need for their work. Then, in the second stage, the skills and knowledge the participants acquire from their work in St. Louis will hopefully be transferable to their local communities. Ideally this Gateway City will be a gateway for further progress.
Our rationale for picking St. Louis is two-fold. During the break trip, participants will have the opportunity to help many great organizations in a city with a need for their work. Then, in the second stage, the skills and knowledge the participants acquire from their work in St. Louis will hopefully be transferable to their local communities. Ideally this Gateway City will be a gateway for further progress.
No comments:
Post a Comment