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Evan Povill: Co-led a vocational exploration group for adults with developmental delays.
Site Served: Walnut Street Center, Linwood Street Workshop

"I began with the idea that I would be teaching the group about different jobs, resumes, interviews, and other job-search related topics. Instead, I received a crash course in how to meet the group members' individual interests, strengths, and learning styles.

My co-leader and I began utilizing various interactive media to facilitate a comfortable, interesting, and engaging environment. We used crafts, music, exercise, and videos to engage the group. This inspired a great deal of interaction among group members, as well as a comfortable atmosphere for verbal discussions and role-playing.

Though the experience was definitely challenging at times, especially in the realm of setting limits, it turned out to be a wonderfully rich, exciting, and educationally fulfilling endeavor.

Over the course of ten sessions, our group was transformed from six individuals working without interaction to a cohesive team that seemed excited, alert, and eager to take the risks necessary for successful learning. The group ended with both members and leaders excited about the accomplishments reached within the group sessions, especially the camaraderie and tight bonds that were formed within the group experience.

I believe that overall, the group leaders may have come out learning more than the members that we thought we were there to 'teach'."

"In the Get Fit program, we acted more as facilitators than as 'leaders.' We started out with some ideas from our classes at BSOT, but the girls really chose the issues that the group dealt with -- like healthy eating habits. We worked a lot on self-esteem issues -- how to develop self-respect and how to respect others. Substance abuse was a big issue with the girls, not necessarily their own substance abuse, but in their peer groups and in their families."

"I gained a greater appreciation of people as individuals as well as the importance of thinking about the group's needs as a whole. I felt we effected change because we received feedback from the members that our group was 'helpful' and offered them a chance to 'smooth out issues' in the work environment."

"It was rewarding to participate in the community based group work supporting the health, functioning and quality of life of people in their own community. The agency's philosophy and The Functional Group Model approach complemented each other by building upon the agency and members' strengths. The experience cultivates one's understanding of the scope of community resources, social service agencies, the process of networking, and collaboration."