The Unusual Aspects Of UWM’s Service Learning

On Sunday, October 13, 2019, I conducted a neighborhood clean-up as part of my service-learning project. The only event that fit with my schedule for work and school was this one, so I selected it. In my capacity as a student, I wanted to support UWM. I believed this would be an excellent chance for me to get active with UWM and to support and serve our community. Additionally, it was a wonderful chance to explore MKE and discover more about the neighborhood. I appreciate the efforts and passion that people involved with UWM are putting into their community outreach programs as someone whose family has had to use community-based programs in the past, such as food banks and emergency shelters. It shows that we all care about our community and that we are ready to make a difference towards our community. The service-learning initiative had no complicated steps. All I had to do to collect garbage and recyclables and sort them appropriately around UWM was to go out into the neighborhood, follow the path that our commander had designated for us, and go to that location. I signed in and divided into groups of six as soon as I arrived at the meetup spot. We then read the instructions, chose a group leader, gathered our supplies, and went outside to collect rubbish. Our responsibility and service aim was to serve and improve the community around us. The goal was to pick up rubbish and clean up the neighborhood. Along with the UWM community, we sought to serve the neighborhood. The effort first began as a modest chore but eventually grew into something greater so that those who are riding, walking, or driving by can see how clean the neighborhood is. I believe that our team successfully accomplished the goal and did all within our ability to improve the neighborhood.

I like volunteering because it allows me to learn so much about a company’s community service goals. It was my responsibility to carry one of the garbage bags and assist the person collecting the trash in sorting it into the appropriate bag. I really didn’t have time to speak with the program’s facilitator about other days when we may return and volunteer, but I am aware that the office is always open for me to swing by and inquire about further chances to enhance my neighborhood. It’s too chilly to pick up garbage and recycling, I kept thinking throughout the day, but since we did it together, it was better. We had numerous individuals thank us for cleaning up the garbage while we were out there, so I felt as if I was having a tiny influence on the neighborhood. This made my day a hundred times better, and it was satisfying to know that others valued our effort. In general, we should all volunteer more often as a society. We all have the capacity to brighten someone else’s day, thus it is crucial to return the favor to the community that provides so much for us all. I firmly think that each person has the power to affect change in the society in which they live. Making even a modest impact may alter someone’s day and perhaps even alter how a youngster views their future. Every person has the ability to influence events, no matter how tiny the change may be.

This, in my opinion, links into what we are learning in class since it relates to what we will be doing in the future as adults. Big firms, even little ones, go out and volunteer to assist the local communities; they also grant scholarships and engage in other social activities. We had to assign duties to our group members before the event. Having a leader was our first step, after which we decided who would be collecting the garbage and recycling and who would be holding the trash bags. The “event/service project” was completed as promptly as possible thanks to everyone’s contributions. Everyone had duties established, which made it simple to manage everything, and we made sure to divide up and cover more ground in order to get done more quickly. We talked often during the project to be more effective, and it was simple to do so. When we needed to ramp up the pace or if we neglected to clean an area, the leader was in charge of making decisions. The outcome was extremely wonderful, and I am certain that we were able to assist and at least partially relieve so many people in the neighborhood.

Other than UWM students, we really didn’t have any other students assisting us or connecting with us. Everyone who was assisting that day was connected to UWM, which made communication with them much simpler. We all laughed and cracked jokes with one another, making the day one of our favorite memories to look back on. It was amazing because I was able to meet so many new individuals! The job was straightforward, and we finished it early so I wasn’t really surprised by anything. We cleaned up a block close to UWM after an hour and a half, and it was enjoyable. The nicest part was getting to know new UWM students and making friends while having a positive influence on my neighborhood. One of the most impressive methods to enhance one’s own life and bring about change in our society is frequently mentioned as working to better the lives of others and the community in which we live.

Service Learning is described as a teaching and learning approach that enables students to become a part of their surroundings and the community. It is a good notion to develop oneself through learning, experiencing, and connecting with people and the community, including UWM. We can recognize the various viewpoints, beliefs, and diversity between two nations thanks to this encounter. Overall, it was a terrific experience, and I’ll keep volunteering to give back to my neighborhood. I enjoyed the opportunity to interact with other UWM students while doing well. I discovered that UWM does a fantastic job of encouraging students to get more involved in the neighborhood so that we as students feel more a part of our UWM community.