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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.

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. I believe that overall, the group leaders may have come out learning more than the members that we thought we were there to 'teach'. It turned out to be a wonderfully rich, exciting, and educationally fulfilling endeavor."

""In the Get Fit program, 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 support 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."