Running head: Skills Development Center Service Learning 1

Skills Development Center Service Learning

Danielle Klement

Professor Kathy S. Faw RN, MSN

Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing

NUR 3113

March 19, 2017

Honor Code “I pledge..”

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Skills Development Center Service Learning

I went to the Skills Development Center off Hungary Road. I will be observing the

population and interacting with the people there. I think this will be a great experience.

Noticing

For my service learning project, I went to the Skills Development Center. I will say I was

nervous at first because I had never been around this population before. The center helps young

adults with disabilities prepare for life ahead. I got to observe 6 young adults with disabilities, 3

“teachers”, and their interaction with one another. I listened to these people tell me about

themselves and what they liked to do. One of the young adults really loved music and to dance, if

a song came on she liked, she would stop what she was doing and immediately dance to it.

Another young man that was there really loved movies, all kinds of them. He could name any

movie and who played in it, also when told a specific year he could tell you what movie won a

Grammy in that year. I was amazed. This population should not be dismissed on intelligence

because they were all very smart, they were just different and that is okay. I had a great time

there, we played UNO, scrabble, painted pictures and then went on a nice walk outside. I did not

have many expectations going in except that I wasn’t sure what I would do or what might

happen. Overall my experience was very enjoyable.

Interpreting

I think my values and experiences really shape what I see and hear. I really value good

listening and paying attention so when I was at the center I tried my hardest to listen to each

person the best I could. I also value patience. I think that made it easier for me to interact with

this population, because you must be patient with people. I feel like if you do not have patience

then this population might not be the best fit for you. I personally did not see many problems, I
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did notice that some people were a little mean to some others, so we tried our best to make sure

everyone got along and had fun. I used my communication skills to be able to help the situation.

Responding

I have learned a lot about this community I think. I know that these people need other

people who are willing to be patient and listen with them. They are just like everyone else, they

like to have fun and they need someone who can just listen and talk to them. I think I offered

kindness and patience. I enjoyed my time there and I hope they did as well, they seemed to have

a good time and that is what mattered. I learned how to play scrabble, I had never played before

and one of the young adults taught me, which I thought was neat. I also think my communication

skills have improved. I think I need to learn more about the different kinds of disabilities and

what they mean. Most of the disabilities I was around included: autism, Asperger’s, and downs

syndrome. I think if I knew more about each one that I could have understood each person better.

Reflecting

I think this experience has helped my academic life. It showed me a potential population

that I could work with, it helped my communication skills, and it helped with my values and

outlook on things. I think it has helped me realize even more than before that a disability does

not have to stop someone from doing things they want to do. All the young adults I was with

were so intelligent and gifted in their own ways. They could do whatever they set their mind to. I

think that people should not be so quick to judge others just because they are different, if you just

take the time to listen to someone it can change everything. This activity has changed my

approaches to communication with people. In this population, you just must figure out a way to

communicate in a way that makes sense to each person. It was a great experience and I am glad I

got to be a part of it.

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References

Skills Development Center . (2015). Retrieved February 06, 2017, from http://www.thesdc.org/