Artist Statement of Final Project

The development of the final project was easier for me than the first presentation I did. The last four weeks of service learning, I focused most of my attention on gathering pictures that would help my presentation of what I have learned. Though I had a specific idea on what I wanted to portray, it became difficult to collect useful photos. It seemed like every time I would bring my camera there would only be a few kids that stayed after school. I wanted photos of them playing soccer as a team and being competitive. I was able to get few photos in early April, which helped me start my project.
At the end of April and early May, very few kids would stay for gym and fitness. This left me with more free time to research other after school activities. I was also able to talk to Ms. Janet, the gym and fitness coordinator, about why people volunteer at the school. She helped me realize that the success of Escuela Vieau depends on people like her who volunteer their time to help the school, which in turns helps the community. She also told me about some of the other opportunities the kids have beside what the Boy’s and Girl’s Club has to offer. That is when I was told to talk to Armando Dominguez.

Armando teaches sixth, seventh, and eighth grade at the school. The most difficult part of this entire project was trying to set up a time to interview Armando. I tried for two weeks to schedule a formal face-to-face interview, but after not being able to find a time that accommodated the both of us I settled for a phone interview. Armando was able to tell me about the different programs that there are to allow kids the opportunity to play after school sports, particularly soccer. He told about the teams he coaches through Lake Country United and what is offered in the community during the winter months. I could tell he takes great pride in what he does and he was delighted to be able to share his knowledge with me.
After the phone interview with Armando, I spent the rest of my time working away from the Escuela Vieau. I went to South Division High School to take photos of the school and field which offers some great opportunities for when the kids reach high school. I also spent a great deal of my time on the internet gathering information on the LCU and the many benefits it offers. By the end of the semester, I had learned a great deal about the community and the people that make it a better place.