Working with Kids Community Learning Center
Hello!
My name is Haley, and I am a senior at PSU. I am studying Graphic Design, but have always gravitated towards anything that involved working with people, or within my own community. I am an artistic person, and believe that art can be found all around in the world, and not just in museums. Being creative is a valuable trait, and helps with building community, empathy, and encourages change in the world. Within this class and working with KCLC, I hoped to learn more about ways that I could make a difference.
My name is Haley, and I am a senior at PSU. I am studying Graphic Design, but have always gravitated towards anything that involved working with people, or within my own community. I am an artistic person, and believe that art can be found all around in the world, and not just in museums. Being creative is a valuable trait, and helps with building community, empathy, and encourages change in the world. Within this class and working with KCLC, I hoped to learn more about ways that I could make a difference.
What is KCLC? |
Why Does This Work Matter? |
Kids Community Learning Center is a before/after school childcare program that has been operating for over 40 years. Starting in 1979, the program's mission has always been the same; to help families find affordable childcare, and create a nurturing environment for kids to learn creativity and community.
Why and How I Work HereI first started working at KCLC as a teacher in the Summer of 2021. I wanted to work in an environment where I felt like I was making a difference and helping people, but was also appreciated for the work that I do. After working there for approximately 10 months, I asked for a promotion that was a role focused in behavioral management and planning, in an administrative position. I did this because I noticed that it helped kids to have behavior concerns or emotional needs addressed specifically and meticulously, rather than addressed on a surface level without any depth. Having a specific person to focus on this allowed for other teachers to keep program running and activities functioning, while not allowing any kid to feel like their needs were not being met.
UNST Goals and ReflectionIn my specific role, I have had trainings as well as meetings about restorative justice, and positive discipline. Both of these approaches to establishing boundaries and consequences come from a place of empathy. This standpoint encourages teachers to use all available resources among their community, as well as the kids' to find the best and most effective solution to their problem. The UNST goals align with this methodology by facilitating community through empathy and communication. We also try to approach any situation with an understanding that kids and teachers come from different backgrounds, as this follows the social justice principles of our program, as well as UNST goals.
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Affordable living is arguably non-existent in larger cities, particularly Portland, Oregon. Many jobs require long hours and do not conveniently end when schools let out, hence childcare being an essential for most families. Affordable childcare can be difficult to find, particularly located in convenient locations. KCLC is located in a classroom at the Metropolitan Learning Center, central in the NW area of Portland. The tuition rates are the lowest in Portland, with scholarships and government assistance programs offered and accepted. Kids that attend learn to build their creative endeavors through art, science, and writing activities. The program also focuses on building community and teaching social-emotional skills through communication and positive discipline.
Goals and GlowsTo end staff meetings, we go around and reflect on our past week; what went well or who excelled among the teachers or students, and then our goals over the next week or on a larger scale. These "goals and glows" help identify what we need more of, and gives people a chance to feel recognized for their efforts, even if it's in a small thank you. My glow for this work has been for all the kids that i've worked with that I have seen growth from, or am starting to see more of. My work with kids that are struggling has not only been a new way of pushing myself, but has also been a new way of guiding them through new emotional territory. My goals continue to change through this work, but my current goals are more related to my own growth, beyond the program. I've learned how to improve my communication in difficult situations, how to navigate disagreements between kids, teachers, and parents, and how to represent myself and stand my ground in knowing my worth to a workplace. I am still working toward developing new lessons and activities for kids that help kids develop more social skills that allow them to communicate more effectively. These activities can be made fun and interactive through group games like Telephone, Charades, Dodgeball, etc.. My hope is that by encouraging games that require communication and patience for success, kids will start to use those practices in their own time for their own games.
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