The service learning project I did this semester was an extremely valuable experience. In working with these children and other volunteers, I have learned not only how nice and inviting these people can be, but how fulfilling it is to work with these children and this organization. For starters, I was impressed with Our Next Generation for taking on such a big task; the task of turning inner city youths, who would other wise probably lead bad lives, into good, well-off members of society. All the members and volunteers had a constant positive attitude and determination to help these children that it is completely admirable. It was hard not to feel positive around these people. I felt like I was doing some good, even if I was only there for a short time.
The part of this project that I enjoyed most was working with these kids. I mean, they were cool and fun and I enjoyed spending time with them. In talking with some of them, I found that many of their families aren’t much different than mine. It was also apparent that the kids who were there were being affected by this program. Hardly any of them were trouble makers or acting out. I mean part of that could have been because they run a tight ship and make sure these kids don’t act out, but they still didn’t seem like they wanted to in the least.
I’m going to be honest; my first impressions of this place were that it was a day care for all students to come to when their parents aren’t around. But after being there a while, I saw that it was much more than that. For the younger children, they did things like make holiday cards for their family and sing holiday rhymes as a class. For the older kids, teaching them how to fill out forms they will need to fill out someday by themselves and organize their time to get things done. No matter their age, I got the feeling of hope. By watching and helping these kids, I can tell that this organization is doing wonders for these people. They are polite and respectful but kids in all senses of the word. They still enjoy having fun and being kids but know how to be nice and non-disruptive. In my final impressions of Our Next Generation, I see it as good place for children to learn basic social skills. Many of these children’s families don’t have time or aren’t around to teach them crucial things about life. With this organization, they are teaching them how to be functioning members of society. It is because of this that I have great hope for inner cities all over America. From kindergarteners to high school kids, Our Next Generation is teaching them how to lead a good, successful life and believe not one of these kids doesn’t have the potential to do something great. I am extremely grateful that I have gotten the opportunity to work with such a great group of students and volunteers.
In my interviews, there was a very common feel; that they wanted to help the children. One volunteer told me she started out doing this because she was doing it as a school project, as I was. She told me that after her project was finished, she had created some strong ties with the children and wanted to continue coming in and helping them with homework and everyday activities at the center. An older gentleman I interviewed had a similar attitude. He told me he was retired and decided to spend his time helping people in this community rather than, say, working on his golf swing. He told me how he has seen first hand the change in the neighborhood. He told me when he first started volunteering, he didn’t know what to expect; that he didn’t know if these kids were juvenile delinquents or just kids with bad parents. He said what he found was completely different. He said over time, he has grown to have a special bond towards these kids and feels like he would keep volunteering for a long time. Through my interviews, I found that not only do college students completing a project come to volunteer, but people from all different backgrounds come together for a good cause. This is one reason why I think the Our Next Generation a great organization; because their mission is to change the lives of as many children as they can. 
Now in my second area of research, I observed how things were run. What I found made complete sense. For the younger children, they worked on many things public schools may cover briefly, like counting and English. They also work on team building and group skills. The older kids worked on things like filling out college applications, job application, FAFSA, and many other things that their parents may not be able to help them on. As far as the attitude goes, it seemed very clean cut. I saw a sign saying “No hats, du-rags, hoods, sagging pants, or electronics”. I felt as though they were creating a very neutral environment, so no one felt left out or discriminated against. I also saw many kids who had friends within their groups. I also saw that there was no fighting or arguing. I realized it’s because many of the people volunteering or coordinating acted like parents and made sure they were friendly. I saw that the volunteers and coordinators acted like parental figures and kept the children in line.
Through both methods of my research, I found many wonderful things. Among those is the willingness to help and determination among the volunteers and coordinators. Our Next Generation has created a fun, neutral environment for less than privileged children to learn and build crucial life skills. I am sure that Our Next Generation will continue to help children until the day they close their doors.
