Throughout the course, the main issue I worked on with my group revolved around the lack of availability and knowledge of preventative care within the city of Detroit. By completing and reading all the assigned writings done by my group members and myself, I was surprised to learn how difficult it is to make a change. While that may sound pessimistic, research on my topic has shown that while some policies have been successful in increasing the awareness of the importance of preventative measures, it is difficult to reach to a wide population, even when different methods are taken. Whether it be a not-for profit organization, a public policy, or even a school-organized group, there is still a huge lack of knowledge throughout not only the city of Detroit, but the entire nation. There have definitely been successful policies implemented, such as WIC, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. That is why my group focused on taking the successful components of past and current policies and suggesting future actions to be taken to contribute to the solution. I plan to continue working on this problem by volunteering at different not-for profit organizations with a positive mission of increasing the health of others. Contributing any way I can to make the health of residents better would be enough for me.
Throughout the group project, I learned about the importance of managing group work. I was encouraged to do all my work early and to make sure it was done well. I did this not only for myself, but to not let my group members down. When working in a group, communication is crucial. My group figured this out early on, making progress much smoother. In that sense, these skills revolving around group work would relate to other aspects of my life, as I am sure to encounter many instances in the future where working as a team will be necessary. Relying on other people to contribute to group work is both a pro and a con. There are other people to help you along the way, however there is a high level of trust that needs to be present in order for everyone to work together to get their parts done on time. Fortunately, my group was successful in turning all things in on time.
Because of this semester’s project-based learning experience, I will continue to volunteer at the W Food Pantry. When I am there, I feel comforted in knowing I am doing a good thing for people in need of food assistance. Everything there is very nice and I enjoy volunteering, and will continue to do so.
Overall, this course has taught me to become a better citizen. We are all agents in this world, and a good citizen is someone who acknowledges that and makes change for the better. While my role in the political sphere is quite small, with time I aim to be more involved with decisions that affect me and the population of the future. Being involved in a better future through proposed efforts and by analyzing attempted solutions is a huge theme that I have gotten out of this course, and will help me be on my way to become an even better citizen.
Throughout the group project, I learned about the importance of managing group work. I was encouraged to do all my work early and to make sure it was done well. I did this not only for myself, but to not let my group members down. When working in a group, communication is crucial. My group figured this out early on, making progress much smoother. In that sense, these skills revolving around group work would relate to other aspects of my life, as I am sure to encounter many instances in the future where working as a team will be necessary. Relying on other people to contribute to group work is both a pro and a con. There are other people to help you along the way, however there is a high level of trust that needs to be present in order for everyone to work together to get their parts done on time. Fortunately, my group was successful in turning all things in on time.
Because of this semester’s project-based learning experience, I will continue to volunteer at the W Food Pantry. When I am there, I feel comforted in knowing I am doing a good thing for people in need of food assistance. Everything there is very nice and I enjoy volunteering, and will continue to do so.
Overall, this course has taught me to become a better citizen. We are all agents in this world, and a good citizen is someone who acknowledges that and makes change for the better. While my role in the political sphere is quite small, with time I aim to be more involved with decisions that affect me and the population of the future. Being involved in a better future through proposed efforts and by analyzing attempted solutions is a huge theme that I have gotten out of this course, and will help me be on my way to become an even better citizen.