My name is Aisha McMahon. I am a Junior at Bishop O'Dowd High School. As a part of our service learning commitment, I completed the Junior Anawim service project. The Anawim seeks to provide students an opportunity to engage with our surrounding community and interact with the members of the community to better understand injustices that communities face, and what efforts can be put forth to fix it. 

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The systems and institutions that I connect to my Anawim service include Education, Economics, Immigration, and Racism as many of the children and teachers at my site are of minority and immigrant backgrounds.

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I completed my Anawim project at Free To Bee Preschool in Union City, CA. Free To Bee also happens to be my previous preschool and is a private school. The philosophy is that “A well educated child, with high self-esteem, and a good balance social values has a chance for a successful and happy life”

The teachers aim to make learning interactive and interesting to spur curiosity in the child that carries throughout life. Every child is “entitled to an education” regardless of background, race, ability, etc.

Education is also believed to be the key to a successful and happy life and gives the opportunity of choice.

 

The children I worked with are between the ages of 2 and 5. I helped in pre and post care, recess watch, lunch preparation, nap preparation, and reading/classwork activities.

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I chose that placement as a way to give back to my community and the great people that started me on my path of education and always encouraged me. The teachers of Free to Bee are like another family and I had a wonderful experience getting to come back and help with the new generation.