An Enlightening Experience: How Volunteering Enhanced Our Course

A recent volunteer session at the Baldwin Center in Pontiac was incorporated into our English 200: Blogging class. I know what you're thinking, "How does volunteering at a food and clothing center relate to an English class?" Well, our professor realized the potential the Baldwin Center had to enhance her course and its participants, and built a section around it. Not only did our experience enlighten us to problems present in our neighboring communities, but it effectively aided our project our project to develop a persuasive "Blog for a Cause."

Though many of us may be intimidated or afraid of our rough and tough city of Pontiac, visiting the center was not as bad as the stigma that Pontiac holds. Leaving our jackets and narrow-minds at the door, we all rolled up our sleeves and immersed ourselves in serving a great cause. Our class was split into two groups that visited the center on separate days, while also being involved in different organizational tasks at the Baldwin Center. The sessions included helping to arrange the newly developed "Food Pantry," and the incredibly effective "Clothes Closet." Although the site did seem a bit chaotic, it became a comfortable sort of chaos. We began to feel a sense of camaraderie with classmates, our professor, and new-found mentors at the Baldwin Center.

The inspirational and compassionate atmosphere of the Baldwin Center created a new motivation in us to react to an ongoing issue, providing help and support for our struggling community members. With numerous ways to help those in a community close to home, active involvement is easily incorporated into any syllabus. We hope that you consider the benefits volunteering can have on your students' college experience and add your own idea into your future classes!

Note: For more student experiences, check out our about me section.