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Talia Roberts - AmeriCorps Summer 2001
Summer Placement at Comiskey Playground
When I first started, I had no idea what to expect. I had the opportunity to start a month before the majority of the other summer Members. Becoming an AmeriCorps Member has helped me to grow as an individual. I have encountered many experiences, which have given me a different perspective on life. I helped to assemble the educational kits to be used during the summer programming. I also helped to organize the Challenge Course for the AmeriCorps training. As training came to an end I was excited to be working with the individuals I had bonded with during training .
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Talia navigates her way through the challenge course during Member Development activities |
Reading to two students during the Summer Reading Academy. |
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A group picture of all the children attending the Comiskey Park summer program. |
My main placement for the summer was Comiskey Park. I spent countless hours being a mentor and friend to children of all ages who came to the park. We played indoor and outdoor games, made numerous art projects, and worked with the educational kits I had prepared. Throughout the summer we established a special bond. I also participated in the Summer Reading Program at Audubon Elementary. It was neat to see the students progress from the start to the finish of the program. I was in charge of a reading rotation; I read books to the children and asked for their assistance on words they had been working on. Then, to top the summer off, I got the privilege of taking some of the children I worked with on the playground to a Chicago Fire Soccer game. For weeks afterward, I was still hearing children talk about how cool it was and how glad they were that they got to go. It was great to be able to be a part of creating these unforgettable memories.
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