Activism Blog 3

Kelly Hales WST 3015

February 28, 2010

Nina Perez

Word Count: 355

Activism Blog 3

Activism:

This week the girls and I went back to the Bithlo Community Center to complete the last portion of the Penney Project with Girl Scout Troop 7003. The Girl Scouts remembered our names, and I was surprised that I remembered most of their names as well. We quizzed them on what we taught them last week (the value of coins, adding money, how to save it) and they remembered everything perfectly. This week we taught them about the importance of saving their money, creating a budget, and credit cards. They expressed excitement at the idea of earning money and shared some of their favorite ways to earn money. They told us that they loved to wash cars, clean floors, and do dishes. I was happy at their enthusiasm to earn their own money. They also told us about how much they loved to sell cookies.

Things got a bit messy this week when we painted piggy banks with them. They each painted their pig a different way and a lot of them placed crowns on the heads of their pigs. Another thing that I noticed was that they were very much into the peace symbols and often created the peace sign with their fingers.

We also played a board game with the girls involving real money. They had to add or subtract their money correctly; a task that they need to use when selling cookies and later on in life when they will need to work on their budgets.

Reflection:

Working with the Girl Scouts this past week was a lot of fun (as it always is). They are so enthusiastic to learn new things about the world and are eager to share stories about their lives. I think they have a better grasp on the world than I previously gave them credit for. While teaching them about creating a budget, saving money, and wants and needs I asked them "What can you tell me about a budget? Do you know how your family budgets money and make choices between what you need and want?" Their hands flew up and I specifically recall a girl telling me that her family only allows themselves $60 a day for food, otherwise they would run out of money and not be able to afford the things they need. I frequently felt sad because it was obvious that some of the girls come from low income families. It is sometimes difficult to hear them share their stories about money. The Penney Project was a bit of a touchy subject but I know that the girls learned a lot of beneficial things and it is obvious that we all had fun working on it.

Reciprocity:

Even after a busy day, working with the Girl Scouts always makes me smile. The girls are so kind and teach me probably more than I do them. While working on the Penney Project with them I realized that money isn't as important as I make it to be. The girls care more about friendship, working together, and loving your family. While I should be concerned about paying rent and bills each month, the girls have taught me that I also need to focus on the important people in my life.