CHS Globe » Volunteering

A pastime to be shared be all: Challenger Baseball

Anat Gross — Fri, 20 May 2011 22:08:01 +0000

Nearly 20 years ago, Buck Smith came across an article in Sports Illustrated that would change his life and connect hundreds of people around the baseball diamond. He read about Challenger Baseball, a Little League division established in 1989 that provides opportunities for children with disabilities to play baseball.

After reading the article Smith sent out letters and placed some ads in newspapers to form a similar team in St. Louis. What began with a small St. Louis team of 15 players has now expanded to 54 teams and up to 700 registered players in Eastern Missouri and Western Illinois.

Challenger Baseball was established to connect people of different backgrounds and to provide the experience of America’s pastime sport to all children.

“[We] give these kids with a disability a chance to play baseball and we treat them no differently than a traditional team except for a couple of little things,” Smith said. “We don’t count outs, we don’t count runs, and everybody bats every inning. We’re not skill based at all, we’re all abut fun. And we’re all about the players having a good time.”

CHS senior Dawn Androphy has been volunteering with Challenger Baseball for several years.

“I heard about the organization and I played on various baseball and softball leagues when I was younger,” Androphy said. “I really enjoyed the experience of being on a team and I felt like I grew a lot from that and it teaches you how to work with others. I saw the organization as an opportunity to give that experience to other people that wouldn’t necessarily be able to be on another team.”

According to Smith the organization’s greatest priority is to make friends and to embrace differences.

“[The players] will get a chance to interact with people they may not get a chance to interact with in another situation,” Smith said. “Our players are great, they’re the nicest people and they have great senses of humor.”

Senior Ali Meyer volunteers with Challenger Baseball and holds a unique perspective on the organization. Her younger brother is a league member, which she believes has made her “extremely comfortable in situations/scenarios like Challenger Baseball that may seem a little intimidating at first for lots of people.”

She stressed the need for more buddies and the excitement of volunteering with the organization.

“I think the organization is important because it gives kids and adults with special needs the chance to play a sport and experience some normalcy that may have otherwise not been possible,” Meyer said. “Especially in an area like the St. Louis Special School District, where inclusion isn’t always stressed, I feel like it is also a chance for socialization for the players. The inclusion is really great for both the buddy volunteers and league members.”

Challenger Baseball has a strong community environment, with the families, players, and volunteers all coming together to play baseball. Baseball turned out to be the perfect sport. Not only is it America’s pastime sport, but it is an easily adaptable sport for all players.

“Baseball is a real sport that other kids are doing,” Androphy said. “It’s a nice opportunity for these kids to participate in something other kids are doing because anyone can do a craft at home, but I think for these kids it’s a way for them to have that experience they wouldn’t be able to otherwise have.”

Challenger Baseball gives the players an opportunity to switch roles, to be in the position where they are on center stage. According to Smith the experience helps both the players and the buddies gain self-esteem.

“[The buddies] feel better about themselves with their self-confidence and they can be the hero for a change,” Smith said. “They’ve gone to other traditional baseball games with their families and their friends and they see everybody cheer for the players on the field now it’s their turn to be cheered.”

The players are given the opportunity to play baseball, while the buddies are given the chance to brighten someone else’s day. Androphy cited this as her main reason for continuing her work with Challenger Baseball throughout the years.

“It’s a really good way of spending your time,” Androphy said. “I think sometimes volunteer hours cannot be fun, but this is probably one of the most fun ways I’ve found to volunteer. You get to play around with someone and make their day better and it makes me feel good every time I do it.”

Not only is Challenger Baseball a great way to give back to the community and enrich someone’s day, but the games themselves can be quite competitive and exciting.

“The excitement and the smiles are honestly unmatched,” Meyer said. “The parents have just as much fun as the players. And quite frankly, don’t think the atmosphere isn’t competitive; Line drives to short stop, big hits to left field. The games are great, and the reactions from team members, parents and buddies is reason enough to go out and volunteer.”

The organization overall provides all the participants with a day to remember. The game of baseball is used to connect people from diverse backgrounds, enriching the lives of all those involved.

“What we get back never matches what we put in,” Smith said. “I think us out there playing Challenger baseball might even feel a little bit guilty because we get so much back from these players they are just so glad that we are there.”

Making music matters: Alum founds music organization for inner-city youth

Jake Bernstein — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 12:00:02 +0000

CHS graduate Ken Zheng works with with a violinist at Stevens Middle School as part of the program they founded, Making Music Matters. The Organization, which had has been aided by the United Way, provides violin instruction to inner city students who do not have an orchestra program at their school.

In the Clayton School District students have access to a wide variety of educational enrichment programs from elementary school onward. Students in the St. Louis Public School District rarely have access to as many of these opportunities.

Making Music Matters, an organization founded by CHS 2010 alum Ken Zheng, offers a classical violin music program to inner city students who have no orchestra programs at their schools.   Zheng began the program the summer after graduating high school. Balancing the program with studies at Washington University, Zheng teaches violin at Stevens Middle School once a week. The United Way of Greater St. Louis assisted Zheng in starting the program.

“United Way helped us find a school to begin our program at, for which I am very grateful,” Zheng said.

The program’s curriculum is being developed by Zheng and two other “teachers,” students who attend John Burroughs School, Ginna Doyle and Laura Cooper. The three teachers use the Essential Elements for Strings book with supplemental material they find online. Though all three are accomplished violinists, developing a curriculum is new to them.

“The one short hour we have with the students flies by each week,” Zheng said. “At first, I thought I would have to work hard to find material to fill that time, but by the time you get there, greet the students, and set up the stands and violins, there really isn’t much time left.”

Making Music Matters has received support from sources such as the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, which has donated supplies for the students. “While our program is fairly small, I’m always on the lookout for ways to expand,” Zheng said. “I wholeheartedly appreciate the support of the Symphony. We’re also looking for more high school and college students to volunteer as violin teachers for an hour a week.”

Cooper, who is a senior, joined the program as a teacher roughly three weeks after it began.

“I really enjoy working with the kids,” Cooper said. “It’s really a unique intellectual challenge to figure out how to teach someone something that you’ve been doing for so long that it feels natural.”

Shana Renshaw, Community Collaborative Specialist at Stevens Middle School, is in regular contact with Zheng about the program and feels that the program is going very well.

“Many students are finding the desire to cultivate this new-found talent,” Renshaw said. “Most have had little instrumental music exposure and no exposure to the violin prior to this experience.”

Cooper taught violin nearly every week last semester despite being busy with college applications. In teaching violin to students who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity, Cooper knows she makes a difference in their lives.

“I’m really inspired by the talent and drive of the kids,” Cooper said. “I feel like I owe it to them to be there every week and be a consistent figure. I want to encourage them to do something that they’re doing very well. I’m try to be friendly and fun with them so they enjoy the learning process.” Renshaw sees the students before and after the teachers arrive.

“The students are very receptive and interested,” Renshaw said. “They continually express concern about access to their instruments and when class is going to be held. Many times they rush the instructors as soon as they arrive before giving them a chance to set up.”

During first semester, students learned the basics of violin. Second semester, Zheng plans on teaching them more about string-crossing and bow usage.

“In this program, I’ve learned a lot of things,” student Taquerrah Washington said. “I have learned to read the music that I’m playing. It is actually fairly easy. I have also learned how to pluck the strings in order to play the violin. Just don’t pluck them too hard or they’ll snap. I have confidence in my playing ability as well as my ability to make music.” While teachers and students both enjoy the time they have each week, Zheng believes that Making Music Matters is more than having fun with music.

“A 2004 Stanford University study showed that mastering a musical instrument improves the way the human brain processes parts of spoken language,” Zheng said. “In order to convince the district administrators that the program is worth the effort, we have to show that it’s having an impact inside the classroom as well.”

At the end of last semester, the students performed in a small concert for their school.

“I hope to have at least one concert every semester to encourage the students,” Zheng said. “It’s important for them to see the results of their hard work. This semester, we also want to take them on a tour of Powell Hall to see what classical music is like on a professional level.”

Renshaw is excited with the continuation of the program this semester and would like to keep it going. Zheng also wants to expand to one or two other inner-city schools by next year.

Young volunteers gain understanding, joy

CHS Globe Staff — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 03:23:47 +0000

Most CHS students have walked past the homeless who are in need of basic essentials. Others watch news programs and develop a desire to travel and help in third world countries. Numerous teenagers at CHS choose to volunteer their time at organizations in the St. Louis area or abroad.
“Volunteering gives teenagers a chance to positively impact the community, and as a result, feel good about themselves,” senior Allie Lake said. “Volunteering can also help to provide awareness of what is going on in the world, outside of one’s comfort bubble.”
Often, a students’s typical after-school hours are packed with homework, athletics and other extra-curricular activities. However, weekends and breaks from school throughout the year provide opportunities for teenagers to help out in the community. A plethora of volunteer opportunities are available for teenagers in the St. Louis area.
Each volunteer opportunity provides a new experience for a student to gain sets of skills to help them succeed in the future. Volunteering is an opportunity that can provide students with a sense of fulfillment.
“Volunteering is never about our own personal benefit, however we do receive a benefit from doing it,” counselor Anthony Henderson said. “Volunteering is about giving back, not because we have to, but because we can. I believe that we all can.”
Junior Mimi Liu volunteered last summer at a preschool. She developed new sets of skills and formed new friendships. She finds it extremely important for teenagers to find volunteer opportunities that fit their interests.
“My volunteer experience last summer was absolutely amazing,” Liu said. “Despite my cynicism, I really enjoy helping younger kids. I developed bonds with all the kids in the preschool. In the process of taking care of the children, I also became friends with the other counselors.”
Senior Hannah Klein also developed a set of new friends through her summer volunteer trip to Ghana, Africa. Her experience playing with orphans and painting hospitals contributed to her further interest in volunteering.
“This was a life changing experience which has encouraged me to continue volunteering at home,” Klein said. “Compared to students living in Clayton, these children at the orphanages have nothing, yet they are the happiest people I’ve met in my life. It’s good to experience how other people live to earn an appreciation for what you have. You gain a sense of satisfaction when helping others.”
If a teenager is not required to find a paid job, Klein recommends they spend time in high school volunteering. As adults, Klein believes a majority of citizens will have less time to volunteer.
“All teenagers should contribute time as a volunteer,” Klein said. “If you are in a financially safe situation, I think you should spend even more time volunteering instead of choosing to work in a paid position.”
Rather than going abroad, other CHS students have gained essential skills through volunteer opportunities in other communities in the United States.
“Besides volunteering locally, I definitely felt the most accomplishment from volunteering at two centers in Mobile, Alabama,” junior Marin Klostermeier said. “In Mobile I volunteered at a center for people living with HIV/AIDS and spent time with adults with developmental disorders.”
Klostermeier found that volunteering helped strengthen her talents. Since starting to volunteer, she has developed better time management and organizational skills that have influenced all components of her lifestyle.
Over the past year, junior Dusty Kessler has volunteered at the Jewish Community Center with an autistic boy. Through this experience, which lasted six weeks, Kessler has developed a greater sense of patience.
“He was on the basketball team, but because of his problems it was hard for him to understand the rules of the game. It was also hard for him to stay focused on the game and sit calmly on the bench when it was not his turn to play,” Kessler said. “My job as a volunteer was to help maintain his attention to the team, learn the rules, and guide him so he could play on the team.”
Throughout the program, Kessler developed numerous noteworthy memories of playing basketball with the young boy.
“I found the experience challenging,” Kessler said. “When the boy and I got to know each other I felt like I was really helping him. One memorable experience was when the boy’s mom told him it was time to go to practice. He did not want to go to practice, but when his mom told him that I would be there to help him, he got excited and came to the practice. His mom was extremely appreciative that I was playing with her son. I learned to understand that we all deserve an opportunity to try to be a part of a team.”
Some high school students debate whether a volunteer position is more beneficial than a paying job.
“If a teenager could find a paying job that they find meaningful and fun, I would advise them to take the job,” Lake said. “Having experience in the work force early on is always helpful for the future. However, volunteering can often be a more emotionally fulfilling activity.”
Even though junior Cooper Minnis finds volunteering extremely beneficial for the community, he chooses to work in a paid position at Cafe Manhattan in Clayton.
“I’ve done things in the community, but choose to spend most of my time working for money at a local restaurant” Minnis said. “The results of a volunteer position could be better for the community, but I have already developed many important interpersonal skills from my part-time job.”
Some students spend time volunteering to fill their college resumes. Junior Mariah Olschansky has a paid job, but is interested in getting involved in volunteering sometime in high school to improve her resume.
“In the future, I will most likely volunteer, but now I have a paid position as a counselor at the Missouri Athletic Club,” Olschansky said. “If I volunteer later in high school, the main purpose will be to build a stronger resume for college. I would spend time volunteering with kids, but at the moment I am already being paid to do activities with them.”
Besides adding volunteering to a resume, Henderson believes participation in service can provide important experiences for high school students who are leaving for college.
“Volunteering helps students that are going off to college in a number of ways,” Henderson said. “They have the opportunity to witness the human condition first hand. I also believe that you get an understanding that we are not all created equal. For some it’s through volunteering that they get their direction for life.”
Junior Erin Sternberg was volunteering weekly at a program at her church in University City. Kid’s Place was a safe environment for kids to play after school. Due to time constraints with other school activities, Sternberg had to cut back volunteering from three hours a week to a few times a month.
“When I volunteer with young kids, they are so happy to have older kids to play with,” Sternberg said. “If someone is less fortunate than you, it is important to give up a little bit of your time to make their day better. Volunteering makes me slow down, and try not to take things for granted. Knowing I made a small difference in another’s life is pay enough.”
Numerous studies display that helping others will improve a teenager’s lifestyle. Teenagers who volunteer are more likely to perform better in school and avoid violence. Psychologists believe that further research is necessary to figure out whether people who are happy are more likely to volunteer or whether volunteering makes people feel happier. These researchers believe that either scenario will ultimately lead to a state of well-being.
“Research has demonstrated that being with others tends to make people feel good,” said St. Louis Children’s Hospital Clinical Psychologist Kimberly Sirl. “Volunteering might also foster personal happiness because we’re spending time with others as well as being helpful. Being in a good mood seems to be contagious. People prefer to spend time with others who are typically in a good mood.”
Klein also finds that volunteering helps teenagers develop a sense of belonging, satisfaction and accomplishment.
“Volunteering definitely makes me appreciate the opportunities that I have in my life,” Klein said. “Volunteering can improve your mental health and give students a sense of accomplishment and a boost in self confidence.”
When a student starts volunteering at a young age, they are more likely to continue throughout life.
“It’s important for people to start volunteering when they are young to give them a better understanding of helping people,” Klostermeier said. “These kids will learn that volunteering is a really good thing to do. Hopefully, this value will stay with them throughout their life.”
Many local organizations are looking for youth volunteers for the summer. To get involved in volunteering this summer, teenagers can contact local organizations. As a volunteer, teenagers can help contribute to make the community a better place to live and work.

Extra attention lends sense of hope to children stuck in summer school

Anat Gross — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:00:22 +0000

As is typical in high school, I spent my summer in summer school. However, I did not spend three to six hours a day listening to a teacher lecture at me while I sit writing so fast my hand hurts in an attempt to capture the words verbatim. Instead I did the teaching, or at least aided in the teaching.

Two summers ago I entered Lexington Elementary School along with six Duke University students, one of whom was my brother. I decided to volunteer for the first year of his non-profit program, Education Exchange Corps, sponsored by Duke University through their program Duke Engage. It took place in St. Louis for six-weeks from June to July.

The first day I went to Lexington no students were around, we were to be given a tour and meet the summer staff. First, we entered the teacher’s lounge, greeted by a group of women who were preparing a going away party for one of their co-workers. This co-worker happened to be a volunteer for Teach for America. She was young, close in age to the other volunteers who hovered in the lounge, but she looked dead tired. She only seemed to represent the fatigue we would feel once our six-week program was up.

And we did experience such fatigue accompanied by frustration, helplessness, and few glimmers of hope. From 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. we acted as teacher assistants in the classrooms we were assigned. I was placed in the third grade room (for students entering fourth grade in the fall), which turned out to be one of the largest classes. It was difficult, and it never got any easier.

Discipline, discipline, discipline. It seemed to be the main part of my day. The amount of time taken out in the day for discipline was tremendous. Two of my students were even suspended from the program because they were play fighting. And since “play fighting leads to real fighting”, according to the main rules of the school, those caught were to be sent home.

I was reluctant to reveal what I saw to the third grade teacher, who furiously glared at the boys almost eager to send them home. Both boys needed to be there; they needed the extra time to work on academics. Yet, the teacher often yelled or spoke angrily that she was not there to babysit, and thus she sent them home. This was one of the low points during the program.

Frustration, helplessness, and fatigue are all results from a long day monitoring 9 and 10-year-olds who cannot sit still for over five minutes. But the overwhelming feelings occurred when I began to question the effectiveness of my presence. I thought, coming into the program that I would be useful and would be able to change the lives of those students attending Lexington.

But, as each day progressed and the weeks began to pass, I, along with five of the Duke volunteers piled into my brother’s minivan, exhausted and wondering how I have made an impact. And each day I had no answer; nothing came to mind. I felt like the students were not learning anything new, spending most of the day playing games, attempting to write sentences in their journals for two hours of the day, and listening to their teacher lecture at them through a math lesson.

And then there were the few glimmers of hope. The first occurred early in the program. In the morning the students were assigned a drawing which showed the things they like to do and then write a sentence about it.

A discipline problem occurred; one student would not share his markers with another. This boy, Quentin, who was not being given the red marker to color in his picture got upset and began to cry. He said he hated summer school and did not want to be there. I spoke with him to calm him down and then told them to share and sat down to color with them.

Things turned around quickly and the boys began to share and enjoy the activity a little bit more once I started to participate. I made pictures for the boys and they made some for me. Then, Quentin asked to go to the bathroom and we exited the classroom making our way down the long hallway of empty rooms and school chairs. Quentin smiled and skipped excitedly exclaiming, “I think I’m going to like summer school this year.”

Being able to turn his hatred around so that he might enjoy his time in school was reason enough for spending six weeks frustrated, helpless, and fatigued.

Then there was Sam. Sam was the trouble maker found in most classrooms, testing and pushing the limits each chance he was given. Thankfully, he was not sent home, though many phone calls were made. Sam was smart and eager to learn more, particularly in math. Since he caused so much trouble in the class, he sat in a desk separated from his classmates. Because of this, during breaks in a few lessons Sam and I spoke and eventually I felt like I was teaching. He surpassed the other students in math, and I taught him long division, giving him worksheets to do outside of class if he could.

I then decided to gather those few students who were not being challenged mathematically and to set up a sort of enrichment program. We got a few worksheets done together, but we were only able to come together a few days in the six weeks. I was only able to begin what could have been a great opportunity to teach and challenge the students.

The days were difficult and the rewards were few. But I wondered how would the students’ summer school experience have been different had I not been there. Despite questioning the impact of my presence I decided to volunteer again the next summer, 2009. The answer to the question was much clearer after those six weeks.

I spent the summer in Stix Early Childhood Center, a much more well off inner-city school in comparison to Lexington. This time I was assigned to one of the first grade classes.

The days were exhausting, possibly more so than those at Lexington. Instead of finding many times in the day where the students were occupied without the need of my aid or supervision, I was constantly being called from one table of students to the next. I could hear my name coming from four different voices at a time, asking me to help them sound out a word or explain the assignment. I was thankful for the times the teacher gathered the students for a lesson, it meant a break from the questions for a few moments. Yet, it was for those many voices that I came to Stix.

By the time their summer school was over the students were sounding out words on their own, attempting and coming close to, if not, the right spelling of the words. They were able to write in their daily journal with fewer questions.

Many students were able to make those small steps in summer school and had I not been there, how could their teacher have maneuvered between the 15 students all requesting her help without breaking down and getting nothing done? I’m not sure if it could have happened. Perhaps, many of their questions would have been ignored. Perhaps, because of the size of the class, some of the children would not have been able to make the progress they had. This held true even when I was there to assist. Certain students needed more help than others, one not even knowing the sounds each of the letters of the alphabet made, but because of his resistance and because of the five other voices calling my name I could not sit down and take the time to help him. So, I recognized my impact, but I also realized how much more needs to be done than just a six-week summer school program.

More time needs to be spent on the individuals, to identify the students’ needs and not allow them to slip even farther behind. The only way a first grader can move on without knowing the alphabet is if he is overlooked and this can be done easily when there are 19 other students to attend to.

The students in both programs, at Lexington and Stix, came from a variety of schools. Thus, the spectrum of abilities was immense, from students who could not identify the sounds of the letters to those who could write sentences and sound out words on their own.

I do not know what the school year is like for the students, but either way more attention needs to be put on the summer programs. Although I may have disagreed with some of Lexington’s third grade teachers methods, I do agree that summer school is not meant for babysitting.

If more people volunteer then those children who struggle can receive more help, so that they may not continue to fall behind even more. One person can make a small impact, but a group of volunteers can make one even larger.