Undertaken new challenges
i have undertaken a variety of new challenges over the past two years of CAS:
- Sunflower Village provided me with the opportunity of teaching children to swim it also brought me into contact with disabled children, a type of work i have not done before. It was an experience that taught me the significance of a language barrier and also the importance of strict routine (time management). We became a part of these childrens routine something that we had to respect and a nw challenge for us all.
- WWW provided us with a new challenge, working for an extended period of time to complete a project.
- SGA provided me with continual challenges concerning time management, organisational skills and the importance of deligation.
DAWG provided me with the challenge of fundraising which required a development of my creative thinking skills :)
Planned and initiated activities
I have been able to do this in almost all my areas of Community Action and Service:
- SGA in 11th grade provided me with the chance to continually plan and initiate activities, infact it was the job description itself. for example, social events and meetings with the faculty planned and initiated by us were regular occurences.
- DAWG was also concerned with the planning and initiation of activities throughout the year weather it be to raise funds or to actually partake in sterilization campaigns.
Worked collaboratively with others
I have shown evidence of this continually as none of the activities i participated in were individual endeavours. They all required collaborative skills. This is perhaps the outcome which i have grown in most. I think that all my activities have provided me with a chance to develop as a member of a team and then to progress into the position of leader. This transition teaches you the dynamics of collaborative work and the importance of everyone playing their part within a team.
Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities
The continuity throughout all my activities and my ability to see them right through to the end is evidence that i have achieved and developed as a person in this field. I think this is a personality traight that i have always possessed and has been an asset to me throughout the entire CAS process. Its not something that i have learned as a result of it, but rather something that has been tested and forced to develop as a result. SAISA is a perfect example of this, each season consists of 7 weeks of training up to 4 times a week, that in itself is a commitment that requires perseverance. The fact that i have completed 4 seasons throughout my two years of CAS is further evidence that i have achieved this learning outcome.
Engaged with issues of global importance
Considered the ethical implications of their actions
I think the consideration of the ethical impacts of our actions again is something that is nurtured by CAS as opposed to something we aquire as a result of it. for example in Sunflower Village it was important for us to consider the implications of what we were doing, by commiting to the project we had agreed to become a part of a routine, something that these children thrive on. It was our responsibility to stick to this routine and ensure that we were commited to it, the implications of us not being able to do so would have been disruptive as opposed to an aid. That was certainly an area in which i was able to consider the implications of what i was doing.
Developed new skills
I have developed a variety of new skills as a result of the combination of these activities. Some of these include:
- time management
- organisation
- collaboration
- deligation
- communication
- commitment
Increased Awareness in the areas of their own strength and growth
In terms of growing as a person, i think that i have without a doubt displayed evidence of this. I have matured in terms of the skills that i have listed above and now have full recognition of their importance. I am aware that my strengths lie in my collaborative skills and in my ability to persevere. Areas that perhaps still require growth are organisational skills and time management although i do think that i have improved upon and developed these skills significantly as a result of CAS.
Engaged in ISSUES of GLOBAL importance
I think that this was perhaps the most difficult area to find accomplishments in. However i think working as part of an organisation such as DAWG has taught me the importance of expanding my reach to other organisations that were perhaps not founded here in sri lanka. It made me aware that there were organisations in operation all over the world. for example when we organise strerilisations we are intouch with AWP a global organisation.
