Kristen and I finally got to meet our trip participants last night! All seven of them were able to show up, so it was nice to start to get a sense of what the trip dynamic would be like. Everyone seems very laid back, which is perfect for the type of service trip that Camp Heartland is. What is also nice about our group is that there's a wide range of ages - I think we have two freshman, two sophomores, a junior, and two seniors. We got to know one another while going over basic trip logistics and snacking on pizza, all the while getting more and more excited about the trip!
Our main activity was listening to a speaker who came from a local organization which worked with our issue. We heard from Shaun Whybark, who is a MSM HIV Prevention Specialist with the Columbus AIDS Task Force. Our trip was paired with the trip heading to Project Lazarus, which is a hospice care facility in New Orleans that treats AIDS patients.
To begin the presentation, Shaun asked us why were participating on our respective trips. It was amazing how quickly we were all able to enter into having serious, personal conversations about our own motivations for service, especially after only just meeting each other! It was striking how similar responses were; even if someone said a reason that they thought no one else was going to say, someone always piped in with "Oh, me too!"
Shaun gave us what was essentially an HIV 101 session - disease information, testing information, information about the ways HIV is passed, and information about what treatment is like. It wasn't so much a lecture, but an open, guided discussion. We talked about what our perceptions of HIV/AIDS are and how those perceptions have changed between three generations. Shaun said one of the most truthful summaries of knowledge about HIV/AIDS, "With understanding comes complacency" that really underscored the educational aspect of these service trips for me. It was a safe environment to ask questions about what we had heard about HIV/AIDS and have those rumors either denied or confirmed (mostly denied).
It was really powerful to hear about HIV/AIDS in our own backyard. I think that most people acknowledge that we, in the United States, are still dealing with AIDS epidemic, but have relegated it in our minds to a disease of the developing world. CATF is doing so much to spread awareness in our own community, and they do it with just five staff members.
After the presentation, we held a quick (under 5 minute) meeting with our participants, answering any last-minute questions and making early plans for a potluck to get to know each other even better before the trip.
For more information about CATF, check out their website at http://www.catf.net. In addtion, they are holding fundraisers at local restauraunts on World AIDS Day (Dec. 1); check out http://www.reasontodine.com for information on that program.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
What have we done so far?
The planning of our trip to Camp Heartland has been going on for just about two weeks now, so I'm going to do my best to summarize everything that's gone on so far.
All of the trip leaders (there are 11 total Buck-i-Serv trips happening during winter break) meet every Thursday night to get direction on planning our trips and facilitating the discussions and participant dynamics that may occur on our trips. The first meeting involved meeting your co-leader (all trips, with the exception of one, have two trip leaders) and beginning the discussion of the goals for the trip.
Kristen and I talked a lot about how we want our trip to be educational in nature. We're dealing with a sensitive and current issue (HIV/AIDS), and we really want to create and environment on our trip which fosters learning about the issues that children affected by HIV deal with. The reason that it was necessary to immediately begin discussing what kind of trip we wanted was because we were picking our trip participants over the course of the next week.
The selection process for applicants was more difficult that either Kristen and I had anticipated. We were given blind applications with just basic information - year, major, etc. We found ourselves looking to questions which showed what a participant could bring to the trip - a willingness to become educated, a sense of humor, and a desire to experience a new type of service trip. We're still not sure who are participants are (we find out during this Thursday's meeting).
The next trip leader meeting focused on pinning down the leadership strengths (and weaknesses) of the trip leaders. We completed a survey (facilitated by the Student Leadership Advocates - http://ohiounion.osu.edu/csls/sla.aspx) that alerted all of us to our strengths as leaders and also let us know what aspects of our leadership style to work on. I, myself, need to work on "inspiring a shared vision" as a leader - I think working to organize this Buck-i-Serv trip will be the perfect way to go about it.
Another thing that we began to discuss were trip logistics. The Camp Heartland trip is unique in that way - our entire trip is completely contained within the camp grounds, with the exception of a one-day trip to the Twin Cities and/or the Mall of America. Kristen and I have been talking a lot about what to do in our "down time" - how is our trip going to socialize in a contained environment? We also completed a leadership survey, which allowed us to tell our co-leader which aspects of the trip we would be best at leading. Luckily, we ended up picking strengths that the other co-leader didn't pick, complementing each other very well (so far!) on how we lead.
Additionally, I called Camp Heartland this week. Everything's set up for us to go ahead with our trip, and they're really excited to work with us - they've been working with other Alternative Break programs and have a long history with Ohio State's programs.
This upcoming week, we'll be meeting with our trip participants for the first time (hooray!) and listening to a speaker on our specific issue.
All of the trip leaders (there are 11 total Buck-i-Serv trips happening during winter break) meet every Thursday night to get direction on planning our trips and facilitating the discussions and participant dynamics that may occur on our trips. The first meeting involved meeting your co-leader (all trips, with the exception of one, have two trip leaders) and beginning the discussion of the goals for the trip.
Kristen and I talked a lot about how we want our trip to be educational in nature. We're dealing with a sensitive and current issue (HIV/AIDS), and we really want to create and environment on our trip which fosters learning about the issues that children affected by HIV deal with. The reason that it was necessary to immediately begin discussing what kind of trip we wanted was because we were picking our trip participants over the course of the next week.
The selection process for applicants was more difficult that either Kristen and I had anticipated. We were given blind applications with just basic information - year, major, etc. We found ourselves looking to questions which showed what a participant could bring to the trip - a willingness to become educated, a sense of humor, and a desire to experience a new type of service trip. We're still not sure who are participants are (we find out during this Thursday's meeting).
The next trip leader meeting focused on pinning down the leadership strengths (and weaknesses) of the trip leaders. We completed a survey (facilitated by the Student Leadership Advocates - http://ohiounion.osu.edu/csls/sla.aspx) that alerted all of us to our strengths as leaders and also let us know what aspects of our leadership style to work on. I, myself, need to work on "inspiring a shared vision" as a leader - I think working to organize this Buck-i-Serv trip will be the perfect way to go about it.
Another thing that we began to discuss were trip logistics. The Camp Heartland trip is unique in that way - our entire trip is completely contained within the camp grounds, with the exception of a one-day trip to the Twin Cities and/or the Mall of America. Kristen and I have been talking a lot about what to do in our "down time" - how is our trip going to socialize in a contained environment? We also completed a leadership survey, which allowed us to tell our co-leader which aspects of the trip we would be best at leading. Luckily, we ended up picking strengths that the other co-leader didn't pick, complementing each other very well (so far!) on how we lead.
Additionally, I called Camp Heartland this week. Everything's set up for us to go ahead with our trip, and they're really excited to work with us - they've been working with other Alternative Break programs and have a long history with Ohio State's programs.
This upcoming week, we'll be meeting with our trip participants for the first time (hooray!) and listening to a speaker on our specific issue.
What's this all about?
I was asked to write a blog about my experiences leading Buck-i-Serv trip this winter break as a part of the Pay It Forward initiative at Ohio State. So here it is. I've put together this list of questions to give a little bit of background on this experience.
Who are you?
My name is Antonette Hrycyk, and I'm a junior at The Ohio State University. I'm leading a Buck-i-Serv trip to Camp Heartland from December 13 - 19, where I spent part of my last winter break as a participant on the same trip.
What's Buck-i-Serv?
Buck-i-Serv (previously known as the Alternative Breaks Program) is a program run by the Ohio Union that provides an alternative way for college students to spend their breaks. Their vision: Through extended hands on service experiences in diverse places around the country and world, we aim to inspire student leaders to have life-long dedication to service to others and social justice activism in their current and future communities.
To find out more about Buck-i-Serv, visit their website at http://ohiounion.osu.edu/activityfee/asb.asp.
What's Pay It Forward?
Pay It Forward is an iniative that connects Ohio State students to volunteer and service opportunities, both in the Columbus area and in the campus community. It provides ways to find opportunities, as well as programs to help organize one's own service. To find out more about Pay It Forward, visit their webstie at http://payitforward.osu.edu/.
Where are you going?
My Buck-i-Serv trip will be heading to the tiny town of Willow River in northern Minnesota. That's right, Minnesota in December. Camp Heartland, located in the "heart" of Willow River, is a summer camp for children affected by HIV/AIDS. We'll be spending a week at the camp, getting the place ready for the kids who come in the summer, as well as participating in a variety of educational programs concerning the issues that the children who come to the camp (who are mostly from Califronia cities) face.
To find out more about Camp Heartland and the parent program of One Heartland, visit their website at http://oneheartland.org/.
Who's going?
My fellow trip leader, Kristen, seven Ohio State student participants, and a trip advisor, who is an Ohio State graduate student.
What's the process of the trip?
There are three main stages concerning this Buck-i-Serv trip. There's the pre-trip planning, which involves education, planning the logistics of the trip, education about the issue that our trip focuses on (HIV/AIDS), and team-building within all of the participants. This is followed by the trip itself, and the final stage is what we do when we get back to Columbus - follow up activites and service in our own home community.
Other questions?
Feel free to e-mail me at hrycyk.2@osu.edu if you have any other questions about anything mentioned on this blog.
Who are you?
My name is Antonette Hrycyk, and I'm a junior at The Ohio State University. I'm leading a Buck-i-Serv trip to Camp Heartland from December 13 - 19, where I spent part of my last winter break as a participant on the same trip.
What's Buck-i-Serv?
Buck-i-Serv (previously known as the Alternative Breaks Program) is a program run by the Ohio Union that provides an alternative way for college students to spend their breaks. Their vision: Through extended hands on service experiences in diverse places around the country and world, we aim to inspire student leaders to have life-long dedication to service to others and social justice activism in their current and future communities.
To find out more about Buck-i-Serv, visit their website at http://ohiounion.osu.edu/activityfee/asb.asp.
What's Pay It Forward?
Pay It Forward is an iniative that connects Ohio State students to volunteer and service opportunities, both in the Columbus area and in the campus community. It provides ways to find opportunities, as well as programs to help organize one's own service. To find out more about Pay It Forward, visit their webstie at http://payitforward.osu.edu/.
Where are you going?
My Buck-i-Serv trip will be heading to the tiny town of Willow River in northern Minnesota. That's right, Minnesota in December. Camp Heartland, located in the "heart" of Willow River, is a summer camp for children affected by HIV/AIDS. We'll be spending a week at the camp, getting the place ready for the kids who come in the summer, as well as participating in a variety of educational programs concerning the issues that the children who come to the camp (who are mostly from Califronia cities) face.
To find out more about Camp Heartland and the parent program of One Heartland, visit their website at http://oneheartland.org/.
Who's going?
My fellow trip leader, Kristen, seven Ohio State student participants, and a trip advisor, who is an Ohio State graduate student.
What's the process of the trip?
There are three main stages concerning this Buck-i-Serv trip. There's the pre-trip planning, which involves education, planning the logistics of the trip, education about the issue that our trip focuses on (HIV/AIDS), and team-building within all of the participants. This is followed by the trip itself, and the final stage is what we do when we get back to Columbus - follow up activites and service in our own home community.
Other questions?
Feel free to e-mail me at hrycyk.2@osu.edu if you have any other questions about anything mentioned on this blog.
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