Capstone
GPS Leadership Outcomes
Reflection
Name: Maria Ramirez and Fatima Ramirez
Date: April 1, 2011
Project: Hope for Children
What is the goal of the project? How has it changed over the course of Capstone?
The Goal of our project was to volunteer at a local foster home in Houston, Texas and raise a minimum $400 to donate to at least 2 orphanages/foster homes. Our goal was to spend time with abandoned children that need affection and support, becoming a friend to them and helping them by giving them Hope in life. Our Goal has now changed since, we Unfortunately have not been able to volunteer at two orphanages, the money fundraised might no longer be donated towards two foster homes. Although this is still in question, we will continue to contact foster homes seeking both volunteer and donation opportunities.
We are organizing a volunteering team to volunteer at Boys and Girls Harbor on week 10-11. We have also started on our display board that will be displayed to raise awareness around International High School.
This week we contacted two new foster homes, but we have not yet heard from Boys and Girls Harbor on the day we can volunteer.
Your Capstone Project is a tool for you to demonstrate your college readiness and global competency. Use the GPS Global Leadership Performance Outcomes to evaluate your college readiness and global competency. Developing
Investigate the World: Produce New Global Knowledge. Students investigate the world, including their immediate environment.
How have you incorporated this element of the GPS into your Capstone project?
Child abandonment is a global issue, happening in several diverse countries. As we research this topic, we are gaining knowledge about this global impact. We have read several articles of this subject affecting both developing and undeveloped countries. We are also promoting awareness of this subject in the International School, as we introduce our project to our peers. This is a social issue that should be known, in order to decrease the amounts of children being abandoned in the world.
We are currently researching more about abandoned children effects, and statistics in order to make an informational booth.
I am wraping up my display board :) I have done researching this week & have learned so much that i did not know about abandoned children .
Where are your strengths in this area? Why are they strengths? Where is this demonstrated in your Capstone?
The strengths in this area we have achieved, is Producing New Global Knowledge. We consider this strength because we are raising awareness in our school, and in our community. We have displayed our Project in social networks such as Facebook and, MySpace. Many lower classmen consistently ask us about our projects success, they also help us we buy purchasing the food items we sale throughout the school day. We also plan to have an informational Booth in School, as well as a guest speaker. We would really love all our school, to learn about this issue. Many people are unaware of this because only media sources such as television tend to remind us about this issue.
Where are your weaknesses in this area? Why do you consider these to be weaknesses? How do you plan on correcting these weaknesses?
Our weaknesses is developing a well designed argument about this issue, we have not been in this position to understand this issue as well as we hope we did. We try to understand, but we still do not have enough information that can establish a well argument.
Recognize and Weigh Perspectives: Apply Cross-Cultural Understanding. Students recognize their own and others’ perspectives.
How have you incorporated this element of the GPS into your Capstone project? I have seeked understanding about this global issue, and have tried understanding this phenomena occurring globally.
Where are your strengths in this area? Why are they strengths? Where is this demonstrated in your Capstone? My strength
Our strengths in this area is understanding the magnitude, and the issue being a global issue affecting people all over the world. This is strength, because we are connecting out project globally, not only regionally.
Where are your weaknesses in this area? Why do you consider these to be weaknesses? How do you plan on correcting these weaknesses?
Our weakness in this area is not being able to understand the reason of child abandonment; although it is a global issue we cannot fully understand the reasons for parent's decisions on abandoning their children. Some reasons are teen pregnancy, poverty, and immature fatherhood/, motherhood, but they appear to be factors that can be worked with and be able to take care of their children. We would like to understand why this factors and values that cause parents to choose to abandon children. We plan on correcting this weakness by doing more research and observing different people’s values about this issue.
Communicate Ideas: Connect & Collaborate Across Boundaries. Students communicate and collaborate effectively with diverse audiences.
How have you incorporated this element of the GPS into your Capstone project?
We have selected appropriate media and technology, to communicate with diverse audiences.
Where are your strengths in this area? Why are they strengths? Where is this demonstrated in your Capstone?
Our strengths in this area, is being able to communicate this subject. We are able to speak about our topic, to a diverse audience. This is demonstrated in our capstone, by peers making questions about our project.
Where are your weaknesses in this area? Why do you consider these to be weaknesses? How do you plan on correcting these weaknesses? Our weakness is perhaps not being able to participate with other individuals from around the world, whom goals are similar to ours.
Take Action: Enact Global Solutions. Students translate their ideas and findings into appropriate actions to improve conditions.
How have you incorporated this element of the GPS into your Capstone project?
Where are your strengths in this area? Why are they strengths? Where is this demonstrated in your Capstone?
Improving conditions on this particular subject.
Where are your weaknesses in this area? Why do you consider these to be weaknesses? How do you plan on correcting these weaknesses?
Our weakness in this area is not being able to volunteer at the orphanages.
Week 10- We have finally gotten another foster home to volunteer at, The Boys and Girls Harbor, this foster home will let us volunteer even though we are underage, and will allow us to bring along more volunteers.
Week 11- Still hear no response on Boys and Girls Harbor on the day we can volunteer, the volunteer coordinator told us they were back on the background check they were doing on us. Another week has passed now and still no foster home to volunteer at.
Rating for this week: Our rate for this week is an 8, weve contacted & emailed many foster homes this week , and hear no response. This is very frustrating , and sad because our goal was to volunteer at foster homes throughout the whole semester. It is now April, and yet have not progressed on being able to volunteer. We will not give up now though, we will continue trying .