6-year-old refugee helps Asian Services in Action volunteer enjoy excitement of learning

As a volunteer at Asian Services in Action, I learned so much. I was able to see how much people need each other. I was able to create lesson plans, provide resources, and most importantly, help kids learn in the International Community Empowerment Project (ICEP).

I worked on lesson plans that included geography, algebra, English (reading and writing) and science. I used my skills as a leader in my clubs at Singapore American School to teach effectively.

I was able to take part in the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Parma Family Martial Arts Center and fire department activities, which provided fun tasks for the young children, as well as skills for survival and educational purposes.

I also believe that what makes you a great educator is to be able to connect with students and make them feel like they are able to ask you questions — to make them feel like an equal. It was difficult at times to teach a group of 20 students, all with different strengths. I realized that through “breaking the ice” activities, students can help each other out and build lasting relationships.

These children are at a stage in their life where they are building fundamental social skills and knowledge. I love being able to teach kids, and I have been able to teach using different creative methods. It is crucial to make kids feel comfortable around learning and not feel forced to participate in anything. I believe most effective learning is learning that is exciting and gratifying.

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But honestly, I learned a lot more from them than they learned from me.

ICEP is part of ASIA’s Children, Youth, and Family (CYF) services. It has helped thousands of children across a diverse mix of ethnicities.

Through certified prevention specialists from the Akron Health Department, students are educated on the dangers of vapes, alcohol, tobacco, opioid and other drugs, along with offering healthy alternatives. ICEP has an amazing staff with bilingual and bicultural backgrounds who assist students in schoolwork (specifically reading and comprehension), social skills, and critical thinking.

Through the collaboration of Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Physical Activity and Character Education (PACE), the University of Akron’s Department of Education and Honors College, NEOMED, and returning ICEP graduates, we are able to better educate and socialize students.

I volunteered at ASIA’s CYF program because I knew it would broaden my horizons, and I have always loved working with children, specifically in education.

I didn’t expect to get too much out of this program, as I initially was only going to volunteer for two weeks because of another out-of-state commitment. However, I felt compelled to return for the last week of the camp. At the end of this program, I found myself in tears on the plane departing from Cleveland.

The first week I was there, I immediately fell in love with the kids. There were 30 to 40 kids actively participating during the five-week summer program. I was exposed to many cultures that included Burmese, Karen, Nepali, Pakistani and more. Their ages ranged from 6 years to 17 years. I mainly worked with middle and elementary students. These kids come primarily from underprivileged backgrounds who have immigrated to the U.S. at different ages.

Growing up in a privileged environment (Singapore), I can find myself sometimes feeling deprived of understanding what matters most in life. I have personally been a victim of the competitive school system, often focusing on getting straight A’s. But when I was able to work with kids who not only struggled academically, but socially and linguistically, I felt guilty for the time I spent lamenting over grades.

I never thought it was hard to adjust to the United States as an immigrant until I joined ICEP.

When I was assisting a young child from the Karen community, I felt saddened by the difficulties that he faced. Not only was he far behind in his academics, he was too young to understand his complex situation. However, I failed to consider the most important part of being a child. To be happy and alive. I felt perplexed by his happiness and his ability to make other people feel welcomed. His excitement to learn undoubtedly encouraged me to be a better person and changed my life priorities.

But it warmed my heart the most by being able to see him collaborate with other students in his class. A strong sense of community was present that wasn’t defined by race, age or money, but by compassion. Whenever we played chess or UNO, it wasn’t a game of competition but merriment.

If you are looking for an experience that will enhance your understanding and skills in social services, ICEP is a great place. ASIA’s Community Adult Mentoring Program, or CAM, is the Cleveland equivalent that served up to 90 children during the summer. I wish that I had joined sooner. The relationships that you will build will be ones that you will cherish forever.

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Asian Services in Action (ASIA) was founded in 1995 by four women who strived to improve the quality of life for Asians in Northeast Ohio. ASIA is the largest Asian American- and Pacific Islander (AAPI)-serving nonprofit organization focused on health and social services in the state of Ohio. ASIA has taken on the challenging task to help underserved, low-income and immigrant communities across the state. ASIA provides services for over 58,000 individuals across Cleveland and Akron.

The International Community Empowerment Project (ICEP) is ASIA’s longest-running program. ICEP has helped thousands of children across a diverse mix of ethnicities. For many of ASIA’s members and staff, their first interaction was through its Children, Youth and Family (CYF) services. This engagement included Kelly Le, who came to the U.S. as a baby born in a refugee camp. Kelly now leads CYF, and I had the honor to work and learn from her for three weeks. I was also able to work alongside Jacob Liebler and Jeff Panik, who played significant roles in managing the summer program this year.

If you would like to get involved, email kle@asiaohio.org

Kaylee Chen, 16, is a junior at Singapore American School. She worked with the International Community Empowerment Project (ICEP) during the Summer Camp session at Asian Services in Action (ASIA).

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Volunteer at Asian Services in Action learns from refugees