I was placed at the Broad Street Achievement (BSA) Program which is a licensed after-school enrichment program for children grades K-12. BSA prides themselves on four primary objectives: academic assessment, academic enrichment, healthy living promotion, and mentorship. BSA serves the children and families of inner city Columbus. It is important to acknowledge that there are many different situations and backgrounds that these children come from, but in order to give the best service to these students, one must analyze the backgrounds of the participants and structure the program around certain similarities. The majority of children that come through this program are African American and often come from impoverished families, broken homes, or traumatic situations. They attend some of the lowest ranked schools in the state that do not have the resources or funds to provide quality education to each student. Without BSA, many of these kids could not keep up with regular schoolwork or pass standardized tests to advance to the next grade level.
As a volunteer at BSA, I help with the after school program for kids grades K-8 from 3-6pm. A typical day at BSA first consists of snack time when the children arrive, then CHEWS, an activity that involves of cooking or baking to promote healthy eating and educate the students about nutritious and balanced diets. After CHEWS, we move into homework help, where each volunteer was paired with one or two students, giving them individualized attention and help that they need. The next part of the program consists of recreational time in order to promote physical fitness and wellness. The last part of the program is evening meal. The meals are provided by the Children’s Hunger Alliance, a partner of BSA. One cannot fully describe BSA without mentioning its tenacious leader, Francine Marchelle. Francine is one of the most driven, dedicated, and caring people I have met. She puts in long hours everyday filled with paperwork, emails, phone calls, and much more, in order to provide the program participants and their families with the best services that she can provide. It is truly inspiring to see her passion for helping students succeed not only in school, but in all facets of life.
BSA has allowed me to grow leaps and bounds in my ability to not only mentor and communicate with students, but also my ability to show empathy and compassion to those who are in need. It is easy to turn a blind eye to the outside world while on OSU’s campus, but my service has allowed me to remember the people in need in the Columbus community and the pressing social justice issues that surround us every day. I have been able to make strong relationships with the students and staff at BSA, and the program will always hold a special place in my heart. I am so grateful for the time that I was able to commit to the program this year and for Mount, as it acted as a catalyst for the personal growth that resulted from this experience.
My experience at BSA and with my Year of Service has emphasized the importance of reflection on service. Without reflection, your service may lack meaning, purpose, and the ability to transform yourself and the people that you serve. These T&R’s aid in this reflection, but it is ultimately up to me to make sure that I am thinking critically and honestly about the impacts that I have on BSA and that BSA has on me. In the future, I will continue to serve others with passion, empathy, and an intention to create lasting and meaningful relationships. In the near future, I will look for ways and opportunities to stay involved with BSA and hopefully continue volunteering with them.