my BEAUTIFUL Providence

This week from the reading and documentary what stood out the most was a video called, Our Providence. I don't know if I was exactly suppose to write about this documentary or the one above it, but I picked "Our Providence" because it fixes perfectly with the reading and its personal to me. 

I grew up in Providence 5 blocks away from where Youth In Action is located on the South Side of Providence. Although I have visited other countries and cities in the United States, Providence is home to me. I am proud of my city and this is what this video talked about. A lot of people who think about Providence think about what the media exposes. I invite people to see beneath what the media portrays! Providence is beautiful. Yes, there is crime and it might not be the cleanest city with green grass everywhere but theres still so much more. Providence is filled with Youth who want to learn, give back to the community and learn about others. In the reading it explained how Youth have a voice too. This isn't limited to cities or towns. Youth workers shouldn't come into Providence because they feel bad either. There are low income students everywhere, but students do not think about that from day to day; they try to embrace what they have in front of them. I love what Youth in Action is doing, especially from the side of town and city I grew up in. I want the youth of Providence, and any city or town they belong to, to take pride in their surroundings, and making something even when their is nothing. 

My name is Mairim Perez. I was born and raised on the South Side of Providence, Rhode Island. I honor my Hispanic roots, but recognized my mother used her "village to raise a child." As a youth I participated in the YMCA, Elmwood community center, and City Year of Providence to enhance my love for gardening, ceramics, and creative writing. I now, thanks to my community sit at Rhode Island College beating the statistics that my background placed me in, with the help of my family and the city I grew up in. As life progresses, the cycle will continue and I will be that helper that once helped me. 

Event One

     

           

Event One

Yesterday, October 2nd, there was a presentation in Horace Mann to discuss Youth Development at RIC and at a college in Israel. This disscussion impacted me because I didn't expect what I saw. The presenter knew English, but it was very broken down. As I heard more about her presentation I learned English isn't her first language although almost everyone in her college program and country learn English. As she went deeper in her discussion, she talked about how students graduate high school and directly go into the army for three years! I found it shocking, but this is how their youth gain maturity. When it was RIC's turn to present, the three people from Israel found the way we went to college rather weird. In Israel students first find jobs in the career field that they would like to gain a degree in. Honestly, I like Israel's approach and it made me learn so much! Personally, I would want students to have a job or internship in a related field placement to assure they like the degree they will graduate with. 

Last Week's Assignment

Hello Bloggers,

Last week we had the assignment to look at a video and write about it but I, as some other students was confused. Instead I was given the chance to write about Friday's class. We spoke about the three types of ways to approach Youth Development; Risk, Resiliency and Prevention, Positive Youth Development, and lastly my favorite Critical Youth Development. I like Critical Youth Development because its me. When I think of youth, I think of them teaching me, and me teaching them. I think us adults falling into us being adult so we are wiser. I was not crazy about the Risk, Resiliency, and Prevention because I feel like all Youth should benefit from after school programs, and such, even if they don't fall under a statistic. I think all youth have a story, they all should be heard and they all should be given the opportunity to express themselves.

-Mairim P.