Name: Colette Leong
Social Justice Group: Race and Education
Date of Fieldwork: February 24, 2018
Name of Organization: Go Project
Person (people) with whom I met and their job titles: Olivia Nunez: Senior Director of Community Engagement
Type of Fieldwork: Direct Action
What I did:
Over the weekend, myself and one other member of our group visited the Go Project which takes place at independent schools around New York City. One of them being LREI. Every Saturday, students who are financially struggling come to LREI and other independent schools to be tutored by experienced teachers and volunteers. The Go Project supports and tutors kids K-3rd Grade who are struggling with certain topics. Most teachers working at underserved schools don’t care about the success of their students, but kids who come to the Go Project will be provided with people who care and love for the kids. Teachers lead classes while volunteers tutor and create a relationship with the kids. My other member and I were appointed to the third grade class where we helped tutor kids with math and reading.
What I learned:
I learned that kids who are struggling with school and get a poor education must have extra support to get the quality education they deserve. Public schools in underserved neighborhoods don’t provide as well of an education as public schools in affluent neighborhoods do simply relying on the PTA, the Parent Teacher Association. All public schools are given the same amount of money to work on, though the wealthiness and willingness from parents and teachers to donate to the school depends on the area in which the school is located. In underserved communities, parents can’t afford donating to schools, resulting in a poor education for their children. While in affluent and wealthy communities, parents are able to afford donating to schools which gives their children a quality education. Students will then be able to learn in a supportive and resourceful environment.
What I learned about Social Justice “work” and/or Civil and Human rights “work” from this fieldwork:
By volunteering with the Go Project, I learned that in order to make a change, people must be invested in their time and have a mind to create change. Volunteers and teachers at the Go Project are easily creating change just by donating their time to teach children in financial and educational need. As simple as it may sound, most people aren’t creating change because they’re not devoting their time to help others.
