The most memorable project that I ever participated in was my benchmark project in my senior year of high school. Quest was a year- round research project, with countless typed up annotated bibliographies, and summaries on our research. I did my research on Child Homelessness in America. I learned a great amount from this project.
I gained insight on the how children became homeless in the first place. Majority became homeless because they ran away from home due to their parents drug addiction. Many children claimed that they had been abused, physically and verbally, when their parents used drugs. I discovered the different programs homeless shelters created to make sure that these children’s needs are met. Many programs included tutoring clubs, help balancing finances, guidance with future careers, and many more.
It was mandatory to find a consultant and get twenty hours of volunteer work. I was fortunate enough to find an amazing consultant and be able to volunteer for Abode Services, a homeless shelter. I went on Wednesdays and Thursdays and played with the kids during play- time. We’d take on different art projects, like building structures with obstacle sticks, making different animals with origami, and decorating a christmas cookie.
At the end of the project, I had to give a twenty minute presentation, discussing everything I had learned about child homelessness including why children were homeless in the first place, the programs homeless shelters created to help children, the laws passed by the government, and my volunteer work. In addition to gaining knowledge about an increasing issue in today’s society, I also gained the confidence to talk to a panel of four teachers about my project.
