SPAN 301S - Service Learning in the Chicano / Latino Community
Course Description: This course is part of your Spanish language learning experience, and offers you the opportunity to interact in a personal way with members of the local Latino community, thereby enriching your understanding of Hispanic cultures and the Spanish language. As a community-based learning experience, the course provides students with career-related experience working collaboratively with community agencies to address community concerns / issues. Taught in Spanish.
Fulfills: MLO 1 & MLO 3
Fulfills: MLO 1 & MLO 3
Course Reflective Narratives
In this course, we addressed each week a different aspect of Chicanx/Latinx society such as multiculturalism in the classroom, bilingual education/multilingual environments in general, and other historical developments within the scope of the class. The class was taught in Spanish which tasked me with communicating in Spanish through writing, discussion, and presentation. An example of this is represented in my service learning presentation as part of the final segment of the class. This presentation required me to present my experiences at my service learning site thus fulfilling MLO 1’s requirements. More on my service-learning experience can be found in the service learning tab above. In Span 301S, with Dr. González, I learned that our learning is only useful if it is being used for the greater good. One of my motivations is being able to give back to my community. Throughout the semester I learned about the importance of being proud to be Mexican, a Spanish speaker and someone that helps others. I had the opportunity to complete a 30 hour service learning experience at Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County in my hometown community of Salinas. Here, I was able to serve students low income, immigrants or descendants of immigrant families students in different after school program and activities. Growing up, in my elementary school, many of my classmate would go to the Boy & Girls Clubs and would highly rate their experience at the club. At the club, there were able to get help in school work but also have fun with other students from other schools. At the Boys & Girls Club classroom I served as a tutor, counselor, mentor, and witnessed first hand the students hard work and success in the classroom. It was an amazing feeling seeing that with my support, I was able to make a change in the students' education as I would help them complete assignments and study for tests to raise their grade but as well as grow as a person and become for social.