Amanda Crisci

July 22ne 7:50am-3:15pm

Peninsula Bridge

Michelle Hammel, site director

michellekhammel@gmail.com

Today was the last day of my 5 weeks at Peninsula Bridge this summer. It was really hard to say goodbye to the students since I’ve gotten to know them so well. The last week of the summer was very eventful. We did activities such as ice cream making, cupcake decorating, dodgeball, scavenger hunt, improv, and music. On Wednesday we brought the students to the beach and I organized a “Bridge Olympics” for them. One of the most interesting parts of the week though was when I had to interview some students for a video that was being made by the executive directors. When I asked the students what they would be doing in the summer if they weren’t going to bridge, they told me they would probably be sitting alone at home doing nothing. That both made me sad, happy, and angry. Sad since they have in the past done nothing productive with their summer. Happy since I am actively changing that pattern and helping them get ahead on their education. Angry for all the students who can’t join Peninsula Bridge and don’t have the same opportunities as other students. In the future I hope to continue working with this organization, and others like it, to help improve the literacy of under resourced students and help them get ahead. Many of these kids are quick thinkers, funny individuals, and kind souls who deserve the best out of their education.

Amanda Crisci

June 24th 7:50am-3:15pm

Peninsula Bridge

Michelle Hammel, site director

michellekhammel@gmail.com

My first week of Peninsula Bridge was pretty hectic, there’s a lot of adjustments that needed to be made and help that was needed to facilitate the development of friendships among the students. One of the most interesting things I encountered was when an activity called “life sized drawings” was being led and the students had to draw people they found courageous. Many of the students drew soccer players, while some drew figures like Hillary Clinton and Malala. It was interesting to see the cultural difference between me and the students since soccer isn’t a huge part of my life, but it is a very big part of theirs. I learned that in the student’s communities soccer is almost like a rite of passage, everyone wants to play soccer almost all of the time. Other things I observed was the interesting family dynamics a lot of students come from. Today we played a game called “cross the line” and one would cross to the other side of the room if they identified with one of the thing being read out loud. It was very interesting to me when I saw how many kids lived with extended family, or without their parents at all. Many of my friends live with their immediate family only, so it was interesting to observe how their different home lives affected them. Overall, Peninsula Bridge brings together a lot of unique students who all bring a lot of different assets and qualities.