ALA visit

Truthfully I am having a hard time writing my part for the paper. It may be so because even after reading 10 articles about social capital and numerous more about youth development programs, I cannot pinpoint what I want to say (I know, I know; I have complained about this predicament on numerous occasions. Nevertheless, I just feel like I am repeating the authors- plagiarism!)

Therefore I will reflect on our trip to ALA. First of all, I was not expecting the center to have 5 buildings for their separate classes (divided by age group- each having a place of their own). The center is strategically placed on the public high school grounds- very important for the teen moms who attend school while their children are in the care of ALA). The staff at ALA impressed me by far with their friendliness and dedication, especially the man who grew up with the program ( I wish I could remember their names, but I will come to know them). Also the woman who kindly showed us the facility; you could tell from her tone of voice and her smile how much she cared about her work and the people she served. She recalled numerous personal stories about at-home visits, the kids' families, and ALA community parties. It is people like her and the woman that runs the GED class who are the core of positive youth development. You may have the best kind of curriculum money can buy; however, PYD is more than learning factual information, but putting those words into action: network building, improving self-image, enhancing communication skills, etc. A person like her, who upon meeting already portrays her genuine, selfless work for ALA, is a model PYD staff person.

I believe the trip to ALA was needed in bettering my understanding of PYD at work. Not to be too cliche, but it is putting a "face" on PYD. One important concern to remember is the need to link the communities of ALA. As Dr. Rhodes has mentioned, this neighborhood community has undergone through a lot of changes, mostly notably the disbursement of the African- American community. How do you create community when you live in separate neighborhoods? I recall the friendly staff women telling us about the ALA staff and community parties from all three locations, where she does recognize some people (even though they belong to the same organization). The need to expand the community outward and not to be limited by distance (there are better means of transportation- cars, buses, and now more electronically blogs and other social network websites). Just one of many things to think critically about...