ACC Reflection

            The ACC “Working With Refugees” project I had the opportunity to participate in was an ideal way of ending what has proved to be an invaluable course in terms of building my personal understanding of refugees and how we can best serve them. The project allowed our class to unify each of our unique experiences and provide the ACC with something they can utilize daily. I personally contributed to the Congolese backgrounder section and the section presenting information for volunteers. My group, which consisted of Jaser and Aileen, did a wonderful job of delegating and spreading the work equally among the three of us. This made the project much less overwhelming; furthermore, it allowed me to hone in on specific topics and give them my best work, which is undoubtedly how I work most effectively.

            My part within the Congolese backgrounder was to present information about the cultural background of refugees coming from the DCR. The backgrounder we read in class, provided by the Cultural Orientation Resource Center, was immensely helpful in building my understanding of how cultural backgrounds affect a refugee’s ability to assimilate into America. I briefly discussed the effects of family roles and structure, language, and religion. After thinking about the intended audience, my group and I felt this would be useful for employers and volunteers because it shows where these refugees are coming from and provides support for their ability to become successful and productive in America. My second contribution was within the information for volunteers section, and I specifically discussed the various opportunities available for volunteers at the ACC. We felt this section would be useful for encouraging more people to volunteer at the ACC, because there is a broad range of work volunteers are able to participate in. Showing people this raises the likelihood of each potential volunteer finding something they are excited about getting involved with. I drew information from the ACC website as well as personal experience to compile this section.

            Through my contributions to this project, I learned the value and efficiency of delegating work within a group and the importance of having a clear vision of what the collective group would like to see in the finished project. The “Working with Refugees” guide also provided a tangible product to give the ACC, and I feel this was one of the best ways we could have served them through our class. The service learning portion of this course has by far been one of my favorite experiences at DU. It was wonderful to apply the classroom learning into the real world almost immediately. I felt like I learned more than I would have in a traditional course, and I also felt like our class as a whole made a difference. I know I was personally changed by the experiences presented to me through this course, and I wish more opportunities like this were available to college students.