Diary of an Intern: Differencemaking
Subscribe to the Blog RSS FeedDo you know that the word responsibility is actually two words? Response and ability; because those who have the ability must respond. I think this phrase really captures what service means to me and it's also a key concept shared within a great organization I've volunteered with for the past 7 years; the Student Leadership Training Program (SLTP).
I just spent the past week at a conference for SLTP. I first attended one of SLTP's conferences when I was a freshman in high school. I've been really involved in volunteering with this organization and taken on a leadership role as a Conference Coordinator. It was a great week filled with learning, sharing, teambuilding, conversations about social issues that effect students, and SERVICE! At SLTP we teach our students that leadership is about making a positive difference. We incorporate various service projects throughout the week for both our staff and our students. We call these projects "Differencemakers" because of the positive impact they can have on the lives of others. I have always loved that we incorporated service at this program and after my time here at BTC and ServiceNation I've gained a new appreciation for how genuine and powerful these projects are. As a Conference Coordinator I have the opportunity to help facilitate staff training and work on a lot of the behind the scenes planning for the week. Seeing the conferences come together is always an awesome experience and this week I realized how powerful our Differencemakers really are.
Our first project of the week for our volunteer staff was constructing a fitness trail for the community where we were holding our conference. This has been an ongoing project for the past 4 summers and we finally completed it! This trail provides a safe walking and exercise space for faculty and students at the college campus we use for our conferences as well as for members of the community. One of the college administrators sent us an email this week thanking us for the time we've poured into this and told us that the trail is actively being used by everyone from college athletes, to faculty members, to local families. It was wonderful to see the progress of this ongoing project and it was a chance for our staff to make a difference together. It was great to be able to provide a safe space for exercise in that community; I couldn't help but think that Michelle Obama would have been proud!
Our student delegates jump feet first into Differencemaker projects as well. We ask all of the students attending our summer conferences to bring canned goods, toiletries and clothing to donate to local organizations. Since the program's start in 1990, we have collected more than 12 tons of food, 2,000 lbs of clothing, 2,000 pairs of shoes and 12,000 toys for needy children. SLTP has also sent 500,000 holiday cards to service men and women since 2003 and mailed 350,000 Peace Angels since 1995.
Each week we incoporate a hands on service project for the students attending. This summer, students had the opportunity to decorate hats that were donated to the oncology wing at Bay State Hospital in Western Massachusetts. The time and care that the students put into this project was really inspiring. They created beautiful hats that are sure to bring smiles to the faces of the cancer patients at Bay State. Some hats included inspiring phrases, others were made to look like a duck or a ninja turtle, some were embroidered, others were painted. They all reflected the time and effort the students put in.
One of our summer programs also had the opportunity to produce a video that will be distributed to 1,700 battered women's shelters across the country. The video includes stories, songs, and skits. It will be played in the children's room at shelters where children spend time while their mothers receive counseling and other services. Creating this video is also a long held tradition of our program. Over a decade ago we began creating the video for one local Boston-based shelter. Now we send it all over the country and on occassion we hear an amazing story about a student who attended our program and then found themselves in one of these shelters watching themselves on the video. Those stories bring a whole new meaning to the concept of the personal benefit you gain from serving others.
We also share a story called The Jester Had Lost His Jingle with our students. The story, written by a student leader, highlights the impact of a positive attitude and working to make a difference. The author, David Saltzman, passed away soon after graduating from Yale in the late 80s but the message of his story lives on in a foundation started by his mother; The Jester and Pharley Phund. The foundation works to promote literacy and help children coping with cancer and other serious illnesses. The foundation's mission; To give children joy, laughter, the love of learning, and a way to live up to the Jester's motto: "It's up to us to make a difference. It's up to us to care."
I'm proud that SLTP incorporates these amazing service projects and connects them to leadership lessons. I think these projects illustrate that it doesn't take much to make a difference, just a good intention and a desire to make a difference where you are with the resources you have available. Leadership isn't about a title, it's about making a sincere positive difference in someone's life. A ServiceNation shout out to this great organization and a sincere thank you on my part to all of the students and staff who dedicated so much time and effort to making a difference this summer.
