I am learning that My Project USA is a very hands-on organization. It brings you to a place where everyone has a task and things are always busy. We have plans to achieve specific goals, and I am excited to see them come to fruition. Some of the projects include increasing the student count in the summer camp, finalizing the project-based learning activities the students have, and creating more opportunities for volunteers in the pantry.

One of MY Project USA’s biggest accomplishments this summer is launching its inaugural summer camp this year. The center runs as a community safe haven throughout the year but Ms. Zerqa, the partners, and the team wanted to do something extraordinary for this community. They created a summer camp to engage the students in all neighborhoods near the center, have a safe space for children to have fun, and create partnerships with different organizations to ensure the educational learning gap is filled during the summer. We aim to have over 50 students in the programs within both sessions. We are encouraging all families on the West side of Columbus, Ohio to enroll their students in this camp for this enriching experience during the summer. The camp is free, for third through twelfth graders, and provides a one-of-kind experience for the students that are enrolled. Today we were at a festival at a local park to promote the city and get people involved with the center.

The Elementary and Middle school students are engaged in project-based learning, Khan Academy, and technology. The students are excited about all the programs but this week they showed a particular interest in project-based learning. They are making another community garden that has seating for people to enjoy. They created models with clay to show what they wanted the garden to look like. They really enjoyed using their creativity to show what they wanted. I enjoyed watching their minds work while also using teamwork to decide who was going to create particular parts of the garden.

We are also trying to find more volunteers to work in the food bank at the center. This is an essential part of the center because it provides food security for so many members of the community. We need volunteers to help stock the shelves, sign people in, and restock shelves after the food bank is closed. We are looking for anyone interested in giving a few hours of their time to help the community.

Overall, this week was fantastic because I am learning how to make connections with the staff, students, and leaders in the community. I am elated to be working for My Project USA and I know I will continue to learn more about grassroots work as time goes by. This is an organization that allows me to use my critical thinking skills every day.