The service learning project was an overall success. Some of the aspects, inclusive of the packaging of the gifts for the elderly, were well thought out. These gifts were filled with goods that the elderly there would not receive on a daily basis, and as such we had hoped that they had enjoyed that temporary commodity. The Flag Day also saw great success as the class worked considerably hard to accumulate such a large sum of money for the sole benefit for the old folk’s home. The class performance was indeed breathtaking and saw tremendous accomplishment, as our classmates reveal their innate talents within the realms of music. It not only provided the elderly, the main audiences for the performance, with a spectacularly wide range and variety of musical performances, but it even ended up fostering a closer bond between classmates as we get to learn more about each other’s personality. However, one critical flaw was that the class was not allocated sufficient practice time for the performance, which resulted in a lack of proper planning and scheduling. Our finale, which consisted of performing a group singing, was largely an extemporaneous act as most of us were not aware of such a routine. Needless to say, despite the initial confusion from the group singing, we managed to demonstrate substantial class spirit, as we began accruing interest, joy, and excitement from the experiences.
I have picked up several key points from the service learning project, one of which was to learn about how we, as ordinary citizens, can step up to the cause and help those who are in greater need. There exist a myriad of options for us to help these needy citizens, and it certainly proves beneficial if we, at a young age, got to experience some of these options first hand, and thus can do the same in the future with greater expertise, and maybe even encourage such joint activities to future associates. The other point I have learnt is the importance of teamwork. The service learning project gave the students a chance to seize the opportunity for planning out the events. This allows the students to gain a sense of responsibility, improve problem solving skills, ease the process of communication with others and in our case, build confidence by performing in front of an audience. All these benefits add on to the overall development of student wellbeing, for we learn how to work together to achieve a common goal.
The service learning project which my class undertook was very focused towards the ability for us to gain a thorough understanding of social awareness. Social awareness is the enlightenment of knowing what kind of problems the society has to endure, especially those on a considerably lower financial scale of the hoi polloi. By immersing ourselves with the project, we are able to mutually comprehend the plight which they encounter on a daily basis, enabling ourselves to better serve the community by understanding what they have to go through.
In culmination of my reflections, the project did serve a vital role in helping us gain experience with the importance of not taking people and objects in our lives for granted.
However, I personally felt that the project was too centered towards a specific group of people, rather than on a larger scale. While these people are too in need to help, I think it would be of greater contribution if we were to instead help those who are not in the care of the old folk’s home. While the elderly in the old folk’s home certainly do require just as much help, they are under constant supervision from the volunteers and workers there. Conversely, the disparity compared to those living alone holds a stark difference, where the elderly often have little to no one to rely on for moral as well as financial support. Thus, it could have proven to be more of an amelioration should we have chosen a broader spectrum of people for us to aid. Nevertheless, it was a thrilling experience to be able to assist such an immense multitude of the impecunious.
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