For my final project I'm interested in researching UNH student volunteer experiences and Habitat for Humanity projects. I want to combine the experiences of student volunteers with a current build (with Habitat) in Rochester to see what this service really means to the students who participate. I have already interviewed two students, Conor McGuire and Dillon Welch, who were trip leaders for a Habitat build last week in Lucedale, Mississippi for Alternative Break Challenge.
After getting feedback from the class, I know I need to keep a sharp focus on the project's intent and make sure that it will tell a story. I think learning what students have experienced through volunteering, how they have changed, and what volunteering with Habitat for Humanity meens to them will be important to find out.
The next steps I plan to take for the project include: 1. Calling (I have already e-mailed her) Margaret O'Brien, who is one of the persons in charge of the upcoming build in Rochester. She can let me know when the build will start or other builds in the area. 2. Ask Margaret for a list of student volunteers who have worked with Habitat in the past or who are currently still volunteering. 3. Visit the worksite to take pictures/interview. 4. Interview other students who worked with Habitat during the Alternative Break Challenge and ask them for pictures.
Good plan, Lindsey. I've been telling others that one of the best first steps might be to develop a database of all the information you need; Habitat offices in the area, past, present and future Habitat projects; volunteers from UNH who have or plan to work on Habitat, maybe even contact some grads who did one of the Habitat trips when they were at UNH and see how it affected their lives. One of the most effective tools you have for developing the data base is email -- send an email to everyone in your address book explaining what you are doing and asking for names of people they know who have done Habitat. Ask all these people to contact everyone in their address books. That's a lot of power for very little effort. And remember the crucial difference between a story and a report, as you demonstrated so well in class. A report is "we got in a van and drove 30 hours," A story is, "the girl stopped while hammering a nail into a two-by-four, though for a moment, then said, 'I can't believe this is going to be my room."
ReplyDelete