"Write about an Experience important to you"
Many teenagers have the reputation of being rebellious, rude and self-centered. As a 10th grader I was one of these kids. The difference for me occurred when I earned the opportunity to attend a life changing human relations camp.
The "Building Bridges" camp, sponsored by the California Conference for Equality and Justice (CCEJ) provided me with a chance to discuss sensitive issues regarding race and culture. Building Bridges strives to create a community where everyone was equal and everyone's opinion is important. The experience infused me with a powerful sense of pride for my own race, and appreciation of other races, and people different than me. Additionally, it raised my self-esteem in the sense that, I became mentally strong enough to overcome any racial discrimination and prejudice would surely reoccur throughout my life. Perhaps the most climatic moment was when my friend, who is Hispanic, answered that the race she felt the most tension with was the African American race. My answer in turn was the Hispanic race. Afterwards I approached her and we discussed how even though we both felt our cultures conflicted with each other in various ways, we still managed to stay friends for so long. Ironically, this all took course over a period of three days.
The journey down the beautiful, curvy mountain on a Sunday afternoon was surreal. As I was returning back to reality, I made a commitment to myself to promote an inclusive community within my school and neighborhood. I wanted to make a positive impact on my environment with the information and tools I learned at camp and spread information about how we can live in harmony. Even more, I sought to teach my peers skills such as team building, conflict resolution, effective communication, and prejudice reduction. Subsequently, I was chosen to attend a 40 hour, 2 week long Human Relations Education and Facilitator Training so that I can return to camp and continue the mission of Building Bridges, and to serve as a liaison between CCEJ and my high school.
Once I finished training, I returned to camp as a Youth Leader. My first time back at camp was completely different. The experience was just as valuable, but significantly different. When I returned to camp as part of the staff, as a Youth Leader, I learned how to facilitate positive discussion, how essential communication and cooperation were when working in groups - and I proceeded to strengthen my skills in these areas.
The things I have learned in CCEJ I use almost everyday in my life. Sometimes it is as simple using "I statements", speaking only for myself instead of for a group, or sometimes it is more subtle, like utilizing communication techniques to resolve a conflict or approaching a situation professionally.
Many teenagers have the reputation of being rebellious, rude and self-centered. As a 10th grader I was one of these kids. The difference for me occurred when I earned the opportunity to attend a life changing human relations camp.
The "Building Bridges" camp, sponsored by the California Conference for Equality and Justice (CCEJ) provided me with a chance to discuss sensitive issues regarding race and culture. Building Bridges strives to create a community where everyone was equal and everyone's opinion is important. The experience infused me with a powerful sense of pride for my own race, and appreciation of other races, and people different than me. Additionally, it raised my self-esteem in the sense that, I became mentally strong enough to overcome any racial discrimination and prejudice would surely reoccur throughout my life. Perhaps the most climatic moment was when my friend, who is Hispanic, answered that the race she felt the most tension with was the African American race. My answer in turn was the Hispanic race. Afterwards I approached her and we discussed how even though we both felt our cultures conflicted with each other in various ways, we still managed to stay friends for so long. Ironically, this all took course over a period of three days.
The journey down the beautiful, curvy mountain on a Sunday afternoon was surreal. As I was returning back to reality, I made a commitment to myself to promote an inclusive community within my school and neighborhood. I wanted to make a positive impact on my environment with the information and tools I learned at camp and spread information about how we can live in harmony. Even more, I sought to teach my peers skills such as team building, conflict resolution, effective communication, and prejudice reduction. Subsequently, I was chosen to attend a 40 hour, 2 week long Human Relations Education and Facilitator Training so that I can return to camp and continue the mission of Building Bridges, and to serve as a liaison between CCEJ and my high school.
Once I finished training, I returned to camp as a Youth Leader. My first time back at camp was completely different. The experience was just as valuable, but significantly different. When I returned to camp as part of the staff, as a Youth Leader, I learned how to facilitate positive discussion, how essential communication and cooperation were when working in groups - and I proceeded to strengthen my skills in these areas.
The things I have learned in CCEJ I use almost everyday in my life. Sometimes it is as simple using "I statements", speaking only for myself instead of for a group, or sometimes it is more subtle, like utilizing communication techniques to resolve a conflict or approaching a situation professionally.