So far the reconnecting youth lessons for our DC Secondary School Program have been interactive and engaging.  We have already gone over time-management, decision making, conflict behaviors, and communicating when in conflict. The students evaluated potential decisions and the likely consequences. We have been able to draw parallels from the reconnecting youth lessons and with our time with the elementary school program, chiefly on conflict resolution and communication. A highlight of last week was when students role-played hypothetical conflict situations and found both harmful and helpful ways to interact and resolve the issue. All have really contributed to discussion and I am looking forward to week three of the program when we will discuss stress management and constructive ways to cope.

This summer our DC Secondary School Students have been helping out with AALEADs Summer Elementary School Program at Thomson. Twice a week the high school students visit Thomson Elementary to help teach Ms. Hazelwood’s 1^st and 2^nd graders and Ms. Melor’s 3^rd—5^th graders and the children couldn’t be more excited. Although spending time with the younger children was a different experience for some of the secondary school students, as time has progressed both parties are now more comfortable with each other. The students are teaching a unit called Agents of Change that encompasses lessons on health, the environment, bullying, and many others. Students are also helping out with an end of the summer talent show. Some of the acts have been dances, acting out a play they created, and singing. Ms. Hazzlewood and Ms. Melor are appreciative for the help and the older students have been great at stepping up and acting as leaders and positive role models. 

Hello everyone, this is Vicky from China.  I come to the U.S. and work as an intern in AALEAD now. I am very glad to see you all.

I felt very excited to be one of you and very glad to spend 6 weeks with you.  I will try my best to fulfill all the jobs and will enjoy my internship at the same time, as it’s a special memory for me.  As it for me, I have been a history teacher in a high school in China so I think that may contribute a lot to communicate with kids and make friends with them. I am looking forward to the coming days.

Yesterday(JUNE 27) I went to the Thomson Elementary School and spent a whole afternoon with them; I like them and I am willing to make friends with them because they are so smart and cute.

I wish everything will be ok!

One of our 7th grade DC students was asked to write about an experience that has changed her life and she chose to write about being a part of AALEAD’s secondary school program in DC. Here’s what she had to say:

“An experience in my own life that is important to me is when I first joined a program called AALEAD in January 2010. AALEAD stands for Asian-American Leadership and it is a program to help educate students about leadership and to help make the community a better place. It is a very important experience to me because from the first day I went to the program I realized how much of a different person I have become comparing myself to now. AALEAD has helped me see the world differently. It helped me to be more confident by knowing I could do anything and it has helped me see that I am a part of making this world a better place.”

“For example a way I became different is the first time I went to that program I was very shy and I wouldn’t try new things, but now I have become a type of person that always loves to try different experiences. A way I have tried different experiences in AALEAD is because for an example recently I tried something I would never try before. I performed at the Artisphere on April 16, 2011 and recited a poem for an event called Sulu DC with two other friends that go to the program with me and we recited the poem to over 200 people there. As a result, I’ve become a more confident person, more talkative, and now I love to try new experiences.”

“In addition AALEAD has helped me get out of my comfort zone, by helping other students out by doing community service. For example, last year when I started the program we went to different schools around our community to help students in their aftercare programs. I have helped students with homework and read to them. Another thing I did in my program was I helped fundraise for the earthquake that happened in Haiti by collecting shoes to send to the people in need in Haiti. Attending AALEAD has helped me realize that I can make a difference and there are many other places I can help.”

“From going to my program I realized that I got to have a chance to experience so many different things I never even thought of. AALEAD has changed me to become a better person for the community and for myself. This is why going to AALEAD has become a very important experience in my life.”