Anna T.

            Combining my passion in recreation and educational studies has led to a most rewarding time that I would not have experienced if it weren’t for attending University of Washington Bothell. The experience of interning at the Aquatics Center with Bainbridge Parks and Recreation has been valuable to my education and personal growth. By participating in community-based learning and research at an educational pool setting, I continued to develop some valuable tools (skills/values) to add to my toolbox. Taking the time for myself to reflect and build upon my knowledge and learning was beneficial in order to take one step further in my potential recreation and education career.

            To provide a little history and context, Bainbridge Island Metro Parks and Recreation was established 54 years ago to join community efforts in providing parks, trails and open space to the public. Though early years were devoted to acquiring property, in the early 70s, the onset of recreation programs came to life with the opening of the Ray Williamson Pool and full 90 acre use of Battle Point Park (formally a naval radio station in WWII). Because the Park District is not a department under City of Bainbridge, it operates as a separate entity working alongside the Bainbridge Island Land Trust and Parks Foundation in its mission to building “a healthy community through effective, sustainable stewardship” of District land and programming. Great leadership and unique tax structure negated the heavy effects of the recession and led to growing opportunities to support vulnerable populations such as nearby Suquamish peoples, Japanese-Americans and low-income families impacted by local issues such as rising housing costs. There are programs for all ages and areas ranging from sports (like in their robust gymnastics program) to cultural arts, and aquatics to boating and outdoor programs. As of 2018, the Park District operates and maintains over 1500 acres in parks, trails and open space that is accessible to all islanders and tourists.

            As I take a peaceful moment to reflect upon my work and summer on the island, my mind comes across David Cooper’s article read from class titled Reading, Writing, and Reflection. Through deep inquiry of service learning and critical journaling, Cooper summarizes that a critical incident is an event that allows an individual to reflect on a moment in time and analyze their personal response and response of others. Then, reflect what caused change or impact to the event from a holistic view point (Cooper, 1998). In my fieldwork at the pool amongst islanders young, old, resident and/or tourist, I have found it significantly helpful to frame my daily experiences from the perspective of Cooper’s critical incident. It is when people reflect upon past interactions that they realize perhaps the incident caused them a change in understanding of others, or ways of life. Or, it can solidify a concept into something more meaningful that may have been understood superficially previously. Incidents may even confirm or question one’s beliefs or values. In future work I go on to do, taking the time to explore my curiosity and reflect will be important, especially while learning new skills and meeting new personalities and/or identities. When I reflect on my own fieldwork, I have found this framework to be a very helpful tool for my growth towards a successful internship.

            Service-learning reflection combines the singular experiences (such as academic life, work life, sport life, social life) into one larger experience where these variables are intersecting in many complicated ways. This writing reflects on observations at intern meetings for two programs, Coffee Talks and Life Design. Coffee Talks is a regular and weekly informal conversation that introduces all interns to the people and agencies that the Park District partners with. Life Design is a workshop series that provides tools and design-thinking framework to build a life one can thrive in. This paper will examine an incident with high school and college interns involved on a long day when both program meetings occurred. Then, this paper will discuss how specific interns and myself responded to the incident, as well as the roles of the Life Design Program Manager involved. The incident of this day tie into both Theories of Learning, Culture, and Identity and Teaching and Learning in a Multicultural Society because of the difference in everyone’s backgrounds and understanding of culture and identity.

            On the day interns attended both Coffee Talks (in the morning) and Life Design (in the afternoon), I witnessed my roommates sit together at the same table once again. As the first day of Life Design, I understood the magnitude of sharing and having personal conversation among not only interns but many high school students entering yet another unknown classroom on day one. Before the workshop began, the Program Manager running the show approached me to suggest us interns sit at separate tables to get to know others. We had just discussed the power intergenerational relationships, I was excited to begin, and agreed. From the beginning, I knew I was there for high schoolers, and this was one of the few moments this summer I could experience mentorship.

            Once I saw my roommates sit down among each other at Life Design, I approached my roommates to suggest and ask that they sit at separate tables to help high schoolers experience a workshop that didn’t feel like a high school classroom. One of my roommates is another Program Manager for a different department. In return, she suggested back that sitting together seemed appropriate because they were there simply as another student. Then, the remaining roommates said that they would like to talk/catch up with one other about their day. Following this reasoning, they invited me to sit with them also. I politely declined, hinting that I wanted to get to know others for fun.

            Following the workshop, the Life Design Program Manager approached us all for feedback. In a group setting, I suggested that this was an excellent opportunity to make an impact on younger students that are experiencing hardships we may have faced only a few years ago. Additionally, out of frustration from my roommates’ isolating behaviors, I posed a question to all asking what each person wanted to get out of Life Design. Sean, one of the Park District’s high school interns with muscular dystrophy, answered profoundly that it was to connect with others about his potential post-highschool life and what that could look like with his ability. When my Program Manager roommate suggested Sean volunteer/work part-time for her department (that was labor intensive), I knew her lack of consideration wasn’t intentional. This was confirmed when she continued mispronouncing Kaz’s name (a regular high school volunteer) for Cass simply because she didn’t realize he was transgender.

            The post-workshop feedback surveys shared a lot about the inability to talk to more of each other during class time and how the difference in age groups in the classroom “made it less fun.” I understood the value behind intergenerational relationships, but from this incident, I value more than ever young adult-highschooler relationships. This could have been a strong way to help connect and support one another in each other’s post-institutional journey. The workshop was a phenomenal way to reflect and prepare tools for your future life and self-interests, but it did not greatly acknowledge the identity and positionality of one’s self in relation to others. That is so necessary in going about building one own’s life. From this workshop interaction, I have confirmed more than ever the power of inclusivity and how seeing/hearing others overcome their challenges can encourage another to live their best life. This lack of attention in people’s identities, abilities and position in life is normalized in the workplace and our multicultural society. In the case of this Program Manager roommate and rest of my roommates, the lack of varying knowledge around gender, ability, race, SES and more has led to this unique kind of inconsiderate workplace culture. This is a culture that was developed by the people, policies and behaviors they decide to practice.

            In conversation later with the Life Design Program Manager, I shared my personal thoughts and comments about the practices of my roommates and inclusivity. It was beneficial to reflect by discussion because I began to wonder aloud about ways I could practice and build inclusivity around our intern house. What could I practice in the intern house that could build inclusivity? According to Reed (2015), “it is never the educator’s job to teach (others) that they are (wrong,) poor, or hungry or likely to be potential… dropouts or welfare recipients. Instead their job is to be intuitive listeners, responsive to (other’s) needs as they encourage students to discover their own truth.” I discovered I like to practice wholeheartedly what I valued in the way I took weeks on and off to build a small ramp at the intern house. There were only stairs that led to the front door before then. What other behaviors or facility/equipment could I pursue changing? The possibilities are endless. Educators have had students find “their own truth” about our multicultural society from several different angles, therefore, I could too in my work/home setting.

            Overall, I found my time in the internship program to be a very eye-opening experience, that I will carry with me into my future work. Everyone in the aquatics staff contribute something important to make sure that families, seniors and swim team children are safe in the water, and the water is clean. My supervisor is always finding new ways to build relationships with one another by keeping trainings fun and lighthearted. Seeing new and varied leadership styles will help me be a better future manager and educator. Because of this community-based research opportunity and internship, I have grown a little more into the better person I strive to be.

 

References:

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Cooper, D. D. (1998). Reading, writing, and reflection. New directions for teaching and

learning, 1998(73), 47-56.

Reed, P., & Butler, T. (2015). Flipping the script: When service-learning recipients become

service-learning givers. Theory into Practice, 54(1), 55-62.