NBE GCE Portifolio: Volunteering at Syrian Community Network

For my community service hours this year I felt that it was important that I do something that I wouldn't only use as community service hours, but also be able to put on my college applications to show that I am a global citizen. This year I decided to volunteer at the Syrian Community Network near Edgewater to help Syrian refugees with the work they receive from the educational systems that are pushing them back from education they deserve. Something that i've learned throughout helping these kids with their homework, social emotional learning skills, and more, has been that our education systems in the U.S. are not suited for everyone. These kids are still adapting to the U.S. after fleeing from their homes which is now a war zone back in 2011, which is when the Syrian civil war began. At SCN, we help these kids adapt and understand the education system in Illinois and help them with basic social and emotional learning skills to use in their everyday lives. This has been quite the experience, and i'm glad to have been able to experience it. These kids have taught me patience, exploration, and have shown me to give gratitude to the little things! I am glad that my school motivates my peers and I to go out and help our community because I would never have known about organizations like SCN if I hadn't gone out my way to look for an organization that catered to what I was interested in. I have not only gone out of my way to help these refugees, but i've also built friendships along the way with teens my age! I have taken some photos throughout the year as well. Take a look below! I was also included in a video made to promote the After School Programs SCN offers!