Planting Trees at the Mangrove Forest Conservation Center
5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
Toward the end of the 1st semester of my sophomore year my friends and I went to the Mangrove Forest Conservation Center in Samut Songkram, Thailand where we were able to explore the environment there along with learning about the wildlife within the area. Through this experience we learned about the declining numbers of mangrove trees in the area and the effects it had on the organisms within the area like the monkeys which reflected how our environment globally has also been declining and affecting not only the wellbeing of humans but also animals. Therefore, my friends and I went into the area of the conservation center and planted mangrove trees together. As a group we were able to plant more than 10 mangrove trees which taught me the greater work we can achieve as a team. Allowing me to realize that if all the people in the world chose to collaboratively work together we would be able to stop the decline of our environment and give life back to Earth.
Teaching at The Bangkok School for The Blind
4: Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences
5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
Before the global pandemic I often went to The Bangkok School for The Blind to tutor students there during the weekend. This is because many of them were unable to do their homework on their own and often needed help reading questions to them or writing out the answers for them. I went their often before the pandemic during the first semester of 10th grade however, I stopped going because of the Covid-19 regulations. As a volunteer there I often helped students with their math and English homework or help read passages in their workbook for them.
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When I was teaching there I was able to talk to many of the parents and students and learned how the Thai education system was very limited in terms of including disabled students. Thus, many of them were unable to do their homework on their own and often fell behind in classes. One parent that I talked to actually expressed her concerns on how the school treated her child and they would often be harshly treated in school. For instance, she said that her child was once ordered to run around the school despite their disability. Through my discussions I became more aware of an issue that wasn't that talked about and I was able to share this social issue with my family and the people in my community.
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*During my time there I didn't take any pictures in order to respect the privacy of the students and their family*
