Creator: Emily Hurtig
This is a reflection post on some observations I made while working at United South End Settlements and how the kids there impacted my life.
On my first day volunteering at the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) classroom at United South End Settlements, I walked into the room and, to me, it looked like any other kid’s art classroom. Over the course of the semester, I’ve had the privilege to see how different it really is from a stereotypical art class. The STEAM lab helps shape young minds in many different ways through fun activities. I have also learned just how different children can be from each other. One time we had an activity where the kids were told to draw “their city.” Some kids drew buildings, some drew libraries and schools, while another drew dinosaurs. We combined all of the ideas to make the “best city possible,” and built it using recycled materials. Even though they all drew Boston, they each had something different that made it special to them. It made me realize that each person (no matter how small) brings something new to their community. We all have to learn from each other, not just our teachers. The kids who love to read, play in a park, or spend time imagining dinosaurs have such different views on the city and were able to share the things that they love with their peers. I think that this is another reason why the STEAM lab is so helpful to kids. It encourages them to look at the world in a different way.
As a Nursing major, I have always recognized the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) classes in our curriculum. In our STEM-focused world, I am one of the fortunate students who loves math and science. There are so many others who admire the eloquence of written works or are fascinated by art. The world I grew up in told kids that they needed STEM and that their passions were less important. The STEAM lab combines the importance of STEM classes with the need for creativity usually found in the arts. The class breaks up the kids’ day from their normal classrooms and allows them to be in an environment to help bring out their creativity and imagination. There was one activity where the kids learned that heating crayons would make them melt and used the melted wax to create artwork. In another lesson, they planted flowers and got to decorate popsicle sticks to mark their flowers. These kids will hopefully continue to grow up in a world where their passions are encouraged no matter the subject.
Overall, the time I spent at United South End Settlements was very impactful. Before this experience, I had a very singular perspective. I grew up in a small town and went to school with the same people my whole life. I didn’t have many diverse experiences. Working at USES allowed me to see what it was like for kids to grow up in a large city with people of all ethnicities. Each one of the children I worked with taught everyone around them. They brought their different perspectives to the class in order to make the classroom a welcoming and unique atmosphere. Even though I was supposed to be one of the “teachers,” the kids ended up teaching me so much. They taught me the importance of creativity and inclusion of individual ideas. I was originally reluctant to give up my Monday afternoons, but as the weeks progressed, I started to look forward to spending time with the kids. I’m so grateful Service-Learning gave me the opportunity to educate and be educated.