• Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • e-Catalog
  • Volunteer Portal
  • Register Now
  • Contact Us
Call Us: 800-487-1074
Global Volunteers
  • Support
    • Donation Opportunities
      • Donate Now
      • Changemakers Club – Monthly
      • Gift Catalog
      • More Ways to Give
    • Foundation Opportunities
      • Funding Opportunities for Philanthropic Partners
  • Volunteer
      • Individuals
      • Families
    • Groups
      • Employer/Employee
      • University
      • High School
      • Faith Based
  • Countries
    • International Partnerships
      • China
      • Cook Islands
      • Cuba
      • Ecuador
      • Greece
      • Italy (Sicily)
      • Nepal
      • Peru
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • St Lucia
      • Tanzania
      • Vietnam
    • USA Programs
      • Aguadilla – Puerto Rico
      • Blackfeet Reservation – Montana
      • Española – New Mexico
      • Rio Grande Valley – Texas
  • Projects
    • Community Work Projects
      • Delivering Essential Services
      • Teaching Conversational English
      • Supporting Community Development
      • Supplementing School-Based Curricula
      • View All Community Work Projects
  • Dates & Fees
    • Seasonal
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
    • Monthly
      • January
      • February
      • March
      • April
      • May
      • June
      • July
      • August
      • September
      • October
      • November
      • December
      • All Service Program Dates
  • Impact
  • News
  • Request Information
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
Projects for Professionals, Reaching Children's Potential, Volunteer Voices St Lucia

Helping Students to Love Learning

Message of the Day:

“I learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

Our message of the day inspires and reminds us as to why we are here, a written reminder we can read/share with friends this year and in years to come.

Our volunteer teams have progress to report. Roving Caregivers accompanied some parents and their children to the two private preschools to visit these facilities. Remarkably, a child Tracy worked with in the spring of 2013 remembered her, or at least her hat – even after only two sessions back then! He has made such strides in his development, more so than other children. We marvel at what motivates one child versus another to make such tremendous gains. The etiology is not always related to one’s innate potential: it may be the timing of the intervention and/or the relationship a child forms: that is, a relationship of hope. Yes, this one lad remembered Tracey’s hat from last spring: however it was likely the relationship he formed with Tracy that led him to recall her hat.

More gains were reported. Lois is volunteering with remedial Math at the Secondary High School. At dinner tonight she talked excitedly of the “ah-ha” moment she witnessed as a teen experienced and understood a Math concept. Likewise, Judi our volunteer Writer-in-Residence feels more optimistic as compared to yesterday, as 5 to 6 enthusiastic teens commence with their writing projects. This is encouraging!

The two pre-schools share the same zeal by their teachers to maximize the human and physical resources they have been given. The happiness and exuberance of their students is evident in their singing; the joy and wonder in their eyes at lesson time an indication that their student-teacher relationship is positive. Both these schools are understaffed; their dedicated teachers very over-worked by North American standards. We assist in whatever tasks are assigned to us.

Lastly and with mixed feelings, I write about a young lad at the primary school. How can one optimally learn when one lives in such astounding poverty with a lack of environmental stimulation at home: with 9 family members of three generations living in a two bedroom house, where four children between the ages of 6 and 9 eat dinner off the floor and sleep in one bed, how can one be totally “ready” (mind, body and soul) for the next day’s class?

No wonder he feels tired at school! Yet he loves school. Why: because he can eat his lunch at a table (his desk) which gives him a feeling of personal dignity; he has friends/other supports at school who listen to him, and understand … who offer for him role modeling for how to act in most instances. This lad feels loved, despite the conditions of his life, and some inappropriate parenting strategies.

So, today and tomorrow, and for as long as we need to, we will talk and problem solve together – he and I. His principal and school district counselor and I talked today of recommendations that are needed to assist with this lad, and others like him. Does he have learning disabilities too? He needs a full battery of assessment. Will he receive this here, likely no; as such assessments are completed privately. The social safety net differs between St. Lucia and North America,  being “a work in progress” here, except for the very basic of human needs, such as  food, clothing and shelter, and even  for these latter needs the bar is set quite low.  The principal and school counselor are quite caring people, however their access to human resources for assessing children’s learning difficulties is close to nill.

This child’s needs, and the needs of others like him, resonated with me today, and into the evening. Where to start, so many needy children, so few resources. I thought to myself for a couple of days before I wrote up this report: if each pediatric  hospital in  the USA and Canada or even one per state/province, could sponsor but one professional once a year, and coordinate our efforts, the sum of our interventions could have such a huge impact. But for me, today, my job will be to listen, to assess, and offer recommendations, even if it is the basic of the most basic, as with the spelling of one child’s name… it made a difference to him today. His name is his identity.

– Barbara

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Pocket
March 3, 2014/by Michele Gran
Tags: Care for children
https://globalvolunteers.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IMG_1285.jpg 944 1018 Michele Gran https://globalvolunteers.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2014-GlobalVolunteersLogo-Web.png Michele Gran2014-03-03 01:51:492016-10-12 13:01:09Helping Students to Love Learning
You might also like
The Babes of Romania Captured My Heart
Family’s Investment in Worldwide Service Provides Life Lesson for Daughters
Mental Wellness Expert Joins Effort to Help Children Reach their Potential
Colorado Nurse Volunteers to Care for Children Around the World
helping kids in St. LuciaHelping Kids With So Much Potential in St. Lucia
give and receiveI Give Love, but Get Back More in Return
The Children Make all the Difference – St. Lucia
Memories of Ecuador Live Bright Within Us
0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Partner Communities

  • China (62)
  • Cook Islands (44)
  • Cuba (114)
  • Ecuador (89)
  • Greece (70)
  • Italy (53)
  • Montana (49)
  • Nepal (20)
  • New Mexico (2)
  • Peru (111)
  • Poland (97)
  • Portugal (44)
  • Puerto Rico (3)
  • South Dakota (8)
  • St Lucia (56)
  • Tanzania (230)
  • Texas (6)
  • Vietnam (33)

Categories

  • Classroom Assistance (8)
  • Conversational English (95)
  • Cultures and Traditions (136)
  • Development Impact (123)
  • Family Volunteering (61)
  • Free Time Options (79)
  • Group Volunteering (19)
  • News and Updates (150)
  • Partners' Stories (16)
  • Projects for Professionals (23)
  • Reaching Children's Potential (240)
  • Ripple Effect (6)
  • Service-Learning (50)
  • Staff Worldwide (26)
  • Volunteer Voices (685)
  • Why I Give (18)

Tags

American Indian culture Care for children Caribbean island College groups Conversational English Cuba people-to-people development impact Earthbox gardens Essential Services food insecurity Funding your fee gender equality Health and nutrition High school groups Labor projects retiree volunteers Spring break student volunteer summer volunteer program support children Support women teaching children teaching english team leader things to do peru top places to visit peru tourism cook islands tours peru travel peru volunteer benefits Volunteer impact volunteer time off work on reservations Work with youth youth volunteering

Get Global Volunteers News Here!

Enter your email address to receive fresh new posts in your inbox.

  • About Us
  • Boards of Directors and Advisors
  • US and International Staff
  • Our Beginnings
  • Our Vision
  • Community Partners
  • Collaborators
  • Compare Us
  • Volunteer Vacations FAQs
  • Accountability and Agreements
  • Travel Risks
  • Impact and Outcomes of Service
  • Donate to Global Volunteers
  • Donate to a Volunteer
  • Money Matters – Explaining Your Service Program Contribution
  • Discounts & Fundraising
  • Alumni Center
  • Covid-19 Policy
  • News/Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • Agreements
  • Site Map
  • Contact
  • Podcast
  • Volunteer Portal
  • Employment
Global Volunteers
375 East Little Canada Road
St. Paul, MN 55117-1628 USA
(800) 487-1074 | toll-free
(651) 482-0915 | fax
globalvolunteers.org
email@globalvolunteers.org
Federal EIN: 36-3352680

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST!

Subscribe to receive updates, new blog posts, and inspiring stories from our work around the world.

Global Volunteers - Partners in Development ® | © Copyright 2002 - Present Global Volunteers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Mail
  • Global Volunteers is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization. Our tax ID is 36-3352680. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent provided by the law.
  • Send feedback about this web site and its administration.
Art Work with Paper PlatesHappiness Never Decreases by Being Shared
Scroll to top