December Blog Post

Blog post for the month of December

First off, let me start off by saying Happy New Year!! I am excited to begin a new year full of academic achievement as well as personal advancement. I hope whoever reads this blog post is also ready for a new year and has no regrets about the last. 

So now, about my mentorship...

I've been thinking about the activity I had the class do for my ten minute presentation a long time ago. What I had the class do was: 1) design a non-profit organization and establish a goal for their non-profit 2) give their non-profit a meaningful and creative name. I never considered partaking in the activity myself, but now, after volunteering at Uncommon Good, I've given the activity some thought and this is what I've come up with...

If I were to create a non-profit organization, it's purpose would be to raise awareness about bored teenagers as well as provide outreach for them. Honestly, I've witnessed this firsthand. When teenagers get bored, they seek excitement in all the wrong things. What my non-profit organization would do would be create a program that enables teenagers to get involved in fun and productive activities outside of school. It would let teenagers plan their own activities and manage their own trips. Providing teenagers with healthy outlets would stimulate them and encourage them to be more productive and involved in school. The name of my organization would be "Adults for the Betterment of Bored Teenagers" or ABBT for short.

This is only one of my ideas. When I finish school, I hope to establish a non-profit with the goal of helping teenagers one way or another.

November Blog Post

Blog Post for the Month of November 

Another month, another blog post...

So my mentor-ship is going alright. Nothing to report, really. Pretty uneventful. My essential question has progressed, thanks to that last mandatory blog post. My EQ is much clearer and I feel like I now have a better idea of where I want to take this senior project. That said, I feel like my EQ could be refined further still, because it is a tad vague and open to interpretation. But enough about that.

My mentor-ship has helped me realize that although I do like the fulfilling taste that non-profit work leaves in my mouth, I can't work behind a desk for the rest of my life. It's just not my calling. 

Another thing I've realized is the importance of time management. That's something I have to become better at. The way I'm doing things now is too stressful. At my mentor-ship, I've witnessed the organized way these employees go about their day. If I'm to become a professional of sorts, I'll have to start picking up on some of these good habits and begin utilizing them while I'm still in high school. 

Lastly, we've tentatively brought forth the idea of having a cleanup day at the LA River sometime in January or February. Just thought whomever reads these should know just so you get the idea of what type of work we do. 

EQ

Essential Question 

• I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ.
  
• EQ Analysis

• Yes. The EQ takes a stance, is clear, and requires you to do research in order to arrive at a good answer.
• No. The wording is odd. The EQ is difficult to understand.
• Yes. The wording is adequate and it takes a stance. Lastly, it requires research in order to answer it.
• No. There isn't much depth to it. The obvious answer is "the proper administration of anesthesia and/or other pain relievers/sedatives."

• What is the best way to manage a non-profit organization in order for it to accomplish its goal?

October Blog Post

A blog post for the month of October...

Well, there really isn't much to report. My internship is going well. I'm still helping out at the office and learning new things: managerial skills, the importance of organization, how to perfect spreadsheets, etc.. My essential question remains pretty much the same: "what is the best way to run a successful non-profit organization?" And my answer is still leaning towards public image.

I do have to say though, my service learning hours have me thinking if I really want to have a desk job when I graduate college. Although a desk job usually means that you'll be getting decent pay and benefits, I don't think I'll be able to handle one. Everything is too structured and procedural for my taste. That doesn't mean that I regret taking on the topic I did for senior project. I feel like I should do some exploring, and non-profit work offers me a good starting point.

Lesson one presentation was kind of helpful. I now know that I have to get better at presenting in order for me to make it through two hours of presentation. During the lesson one presentation, I noticed that I was messing up my words a bit, so I'll have to make sure that I enunciate. Furthermore, I realized that I unnecessarily repeated some information. So I'll have to create some sort of mental checklist.  

Yeah well that's about it for this month. I hope that by next month I'll be informed enough to be able to comfortably "present" on my topic for at least 15 minutes. Baby steps.

Research and Working EQ

Blog-post 8

1. My working EQ as of now is: "What's the best way to ensure the success of a non-profit organization?"
   
2. Promote the organization to an appropriate audience in an effective manner and keep a good public relationship.
   
3. Thus far, the most important source I've found that's helped me answer my EQ has been "Developing an Information Security Awareness Program for a Non-Profit Organization." This was the second source I found since we started doing research checks. It was very specific and insightful.
4. My mentor is Carlos Carrillo. He, along with Uncommon Good (organization at which I volunteer), have helped me come closer to answering my EQ by allowing me to witness, firsthand, how good public relationships are maintained and developed.

Independent Component 1 Approval

Here's what I plan to do...

1. For my thirty hours, I plan to volunteer at Uncommon Good, a non-profit organization. Most likely, I'll help with typical office stuff as well as organizing events such as cleaning a local park. I'll also help contact members of the Uncommon Good program and remind them of appointments and important dates.
   
2. I will show evidence of the completion of my thirty hours by taking pictures and photocopying any non-sensitive documents. As for proving that I actually did 30 hours, I'll draft a form for my mentor (he works there) to sign.
   
3. This will help me explore my topic by further allowing me to develop the working habits needed to be a successful employee at a non-profit organization as well as learning how to plan events necessary for the accomplishment of a non-profit's goal. Also, just by hanging around a professional non-profit, workplace I'll be able to pick up on certain important skills. 

September Blog Post

September

This past month has been pretty busy: college essays to work on, scholarships to apply to, schoolwork to fulfill...but nonetheless, I've made time to learn more about my topic and do some hands-on activities with the organization I'm volunteering at.

Native American Ceremonial Staff donated by
local Native American community. 

Recently, our organization took a trip to a local farm (at Pomona college) where we helped with various tasks, such as: planting, weeding, tilling the soil, and doing a little bit of harvesting from last season's crop.

It was really nice to see so many people come out and be willing to help. With this type of effort, we were done in under two hours.

Recently, Uncommon Good witnessed the completion of a new office building for it's staff members as well as the community. The build was amazing. Instead of using a conventional stick-frame design, the architectural firm in charge of the project, CEDG (Claremont Environmental Design Group) used...older building techniques. The office is constructed entirely out earth, more than 50% of which was already on-site. By using methods such as cooling chimneys, thermal mass, natural lighting,  and grey water systems, the building is immensely eco-friendly and cheap to maintain. What's more is that the community helped in the actual building process.

Native artwork on the walls of Uncommon Good's
New office building.

Thus far, I've learned a couple of important things about non-profit work and keeping a non-profit organization in order. First off, because non-profits financially rely on donations and fundraising, a good public image must be maintained. Websites should be updated frequently and public relations should be handled with care. Secondly, although government sponsorship can be good, it is wise to be wary, because things can turn bureaucratic pretty quickly.

I plan to expand my borders by volunteering at other non-profit organizations so that I may learn not just about community-aid and environmental foundations, but also about others, such as health and legal-aid non-profit foundations.

Second Interview Questions

Second Interview

1. My mentor is Carlos Carrillo
   
2. Questions I will ask:
1. What type of family were you born into?
2. Where did you go to college and did you enjoy it?
3. What types of friends did you have and did they help you through school?
4. What is the most important skill you've acquired?
5. Which accomplishment(s) of yours are you most proud of?

Blog 5 Project Reflection and Working EQ

Pentagon

1) One positive thing that has happened as a result of the research I've done is that I've become more knowledgeable about non-profit organizations. Prior to researching, all I knew was that they weren't profit oriented and that their main goal was to help the community/people. I am now familiar with the inner-workings of a non profit organization and the many types of non-profits there are out there.

2) "The Open University Launches New Creative Learning Initiative" This article really put into perspective just how much a non-profit organization can accomplish. The "Open University" is a massive online database where students and other scholars can share information and learn for free. This is amazing to me because it provides and excellent education for no cost at all.

3) One of thing that has worked out for me/my senior project has been the summer mentorship. Direct/ hands on work has definitely helped me understand what one does at the office of a non-profit organization and how it differs from the activities performed in the office of a profit-oriented company.

4) The only thing that hasn't really worked for me so far is the way I do research. Eventually, I'll find something interesting and relevant, but I just feel that it takes way too long to get to that point. I'd like to hone my researching skills to the point where I can find what I'm looking for almost right away.

5) a) A question I might want to study this year (as a working EQ) could be: What are the fundamentals for success when working with a non-profit organization?
b) I'm not 100% sure of where I'd like to mentor, but I'm thinking that a non-profit law firm or a non- profit news organization would be the most adequate.

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

First Interview

1) I will be interviewing Carlos Carillo of Uncommon good in hopes of learning more about non-profit work. Why Mr. Carillo, you might ask? Well because he's very knowledgeable and passionate about his work and more than willing to talk.

2)Apart from the questions everyone is required to ask, I plan to bring up the following:

1. Why did you decide to do non-profit work?
2. Who or what are/were your influences/inspirations? 
3. What kind of non-profit work is out there?
4. What's the best part of your job?
5. Have you ever had any doubts about your career choice?

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Semester 1 ESLR Goals

Topic- Non-profit work

What I plan to do to show growth in being an effective...

• I-poly Citizen
• An effective ipoly citizen is described to be: respectful, responsible, and an active member of the community. Throughout my high school career, I've taken massive steps forward towards fulfilling these important traits. I believe senior year will be even more helpful because of the transition from assigned topics to chosen topics. There's something valuable to learn from each individual ipoly citizen.
• Learner
• Really make an effort to find some excellent sources and become more than proficient at doing research. As time goes along, I'll get better at researching, and pretty soon, all of my sources for senior project will be professional and reliable.
• User of Technology
• I already consider myself to be an effective user of technology, but I guess there's always room for improvement. Through these blog posts, and the work they entail, I'll be able to familiarize myself with yet another aspect of online communication and expression. 
• Communicator
• This is definitely something I'll have to work on. In particular, verbally. Core-class participation will help me a lot with this. Furthermore, model assembly will reinforce, as well as improve my verbal-communication skills.  

Summer Mentorship Component

1. Mentorship Log
2. Carlos Carillo 909 625 2248
3. QUESTIONS RAISED
1. How important is money when it comes to working at an office of a non-profit organization?
2. How does a non-profit organization make money to pay it's employees and cover other expenses?
3. What type of schooling/credentials does it take to start a non profit organization?
4. The most important thing I leaned from this experience is that you have to be patient and willing to sit still for hours on end while working an office job. Prior to this, I thought that office jobs were a little more...energetic and exciting. 
5. This experience helped me choose my topic because I now know that if you're going to get involved in an office job, it has to directly relate to something you really feel passionate about. 

2013 2-Hour Presentation Reflections

1 ) Salvador - Soccer

Jacob - Teaching History
JD - Pastry Art
Kendall - Coping With Cancer
Rachel - Teaching Chemistry
Ana - Event Planning
Reann - Wildlife Conservation
Jada - Autism/Psychiatry
Raul - Remote Controlled Car Racing
Joseph - Integrate Native Species
Andrea - Painting
Roxana - Daycare Centers
Jaime - Navy
Leslie - Zombie Culture

2) What exactly is it that the teachers want to see? What are they looking for? I know that thorough understanding of the topic is key, but what else do you guys want? And what was the initial purpose of the senior project? I want to know what you guys were thinking when you thought this up.

3) After watching these presentations, I have come to the conclusion that the most important part of a good senior project is to have a good mentor and a good internship.

4) I am considering doing something politically or legally oriented. The reason for this is that it interests me.