Ending the semester at Emerson Elementary School by Jenny Henscheid

Well there are about two weeks left in the semester and boy did it go by fast! As a reminder for all of you reading this, I am interning at an elementary school as a school social worker. A school social worker focuses on helping students identify their feelings and the feelings of others; manage their emotions; and problem solve effectively. At my internship, my supervisor and I strive to give our students the opportunity to practice these skills in a safe environment, so that they will be able to use them with confidence both in and out of the classroom. 

We all know that “Bullying” is a hot topic right now. As part of my graduation requirement, I am creating a Bully Prevention Program Manual that will hopefully be implemented in the school. This curriculum guidebook will include seven lesson plans/modules for elementary/middle school that pertain to bullying. While working on this manual, I have been creating posters and bulletin boards to bring awareness to the school. 

 

Over the last few days, I have been letting the students know that I will be leaving soon. They have been telling me that they do not want me to leave and that they are going to miss me. I am going to miss these children so much. They all have something so special and unique about them. Participating in the Chicago Semester program has been a wonderful opportunity!

A New Sense Of Meaning At Breakthrough Urban Ministries, by Allison Theune

It's over half way through the semester, I'm really comfortable at my internship site, and I'm getting to the point of  utter exhaustion. This is the perfect concoction for complacency and monotony. I sometimes struggle getting up in the morning and have a hard time being excited to leave for work at 6:45 in the morning. I'm starting to recognize that I'm taking everything for granted, and not looking at them as I should. I need to be grateful about the opportunity I've been given. I need to give every guest the patience and time they deserve. I need to serve to the best of my abilities EVERYday, not just when I feel up to it.

Thankfully, the Lord has supplied me with incredible guests to work with at Breakthrough! I continue to be blown away by the amount of optimism and inspiration that I experience from the men and women that walk through our doors each day. Their desire to love and serve the Lord, determination to better their lives, and daily pursuit for justice is incredible! Just today, I met a man that is staying in our men's shelter who would have spoken to me all day if he had had the chance. And although his stories seemed endless, he was a true inspiration in the way he had been able to turn his life around. The way he spoke about God was an incredible testimony in itself. He told me of his past life full of mistakes and consequences but that he has since found peace and comfort in the Lord. He told me that he believes every word in the Bible because he has no choice, it's just the truth. This type of raw faith is so inspiring and genuine.

This example is just one of many encounters that have brought me to a new sense of meaning at Breakthrough. Many of the guests have adopted the lifestyle of taking life one day at a time. They daily thank God for waking them up that day. When was the last time you thanked the Lord for keeping you alive for one more day? I am challenged by this outlook because this faith is so childlike and wonderful. They have no doubt that the Lord will provide for them in His way and in His time. How is it that people living in such despair and desperation can have such a faith? In the world's view, these people should be just that- in despair and desperate. Yet through their need and lack of resources, they are able to not only endure but be hopeful about their future. They truly believe and know that God will provide for them.

This week, Chicago Semester put on a "Hunger Banquet", which helped raise awareness about the homeless and hungry in Chicago. We were able to experience the differences between social classes and to reflect on hunger and need right here in Chicago. Although this has been a common theme for me this semester, I was able to discover more about myself and the world around me. I also hope it brought more awareness to the other students as well! Having the banquet also made me rethink my role at Breakthrough, and how I've allowed my self to become complacent.

So this is where my apathy ends. These last five weeks are going to be full of passion and love for the guests that come in our doors. And I'm committed to doing whatever it takes to ensure that they get the services they deserve as well as the personal conversations they need. I'm not here for myself this semester, but for the glory of the Lord. I will allow him to use me as an instrument in his wonderful plan! And I will take moments to notice the small things that can cause so much joy and happiness, such as birds chirping, flowers blooming, and the sun setting.

Living in the City by Jenny Henscheid

Living in the city has been such a fun experience! Using public transportation is great because you can get anywhere! There is also a ton to do, plenty of places to try new food and lots of interesting and new experiences! 

One of the Art Events we went to was at the Chicago Cultural Center. One of the exhibits was “Morbid Curiosity: The Richard Harris Collection.” This collection showcases over five hundred artworks and artifacts from the collector Richard Harris. There are two major sections: The War Room, which deals with the horrors and reactions to war expressed through art; and the Kunstkammer of Death, a play on the traditional European term for a ‘cabinet of curiosities.’ My favorite piece in this collection was one called “Ring Around the Rosie” the name describes exactly what it is. 

 

On President’s Day one of my roommates and I went to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Many of the animals were not out because it was still kind of cold. However, we did see a baby hippo, which was probably the highlight of the trip!

 

 I also made a trip to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. At the Nature Museum, children can experience nature and science up-close and hands-on through creative art projects, storytelling, animal feedings and more. Even though this museum is for children, I thought it was really interesting. I loved the butterfly pavilion; there were so many different kinds of butterflies.

 

My internship is at Emerson Elementary School as a School Social Worker. Emerson is in Maywood, a suburb of Chicago. It takes me about an hour and 45 minutes to get there. At my internship, I work with children in grades k-8^th who have some form of disability (cognitive, emotional, social, or behavioral). My supervisor and I mainly see these children to check in with their feelings, how school is going, if there is anything going on at home….basically anything they want to talk about we do.  The children are so full of life and so resilient. No matter what is going on in their lives they are still cheerful!