On September 4, 5, and 6, incoming Calvin College students will participate in StreetFest, a one day service-learning project designed to orient them to Grand Rapids, Calvin College, and part of Calvin’s mission statement: Doing God’s work in God’s world. StreetFest is an opportunity to participate in a dynamic, reciprocal exchange of service and learning; both the students and the community members that they are working with contribute to the exchange and are able to see the value of the other. The Service-Learning Center hopes that students as well as the mentors that accompany them will be introduced or reintroduced to the concept of service-learning as well as people, neighborhoods, organizations, and churches which can offer them future opportunities to engage in Grand Rapids beyond the Knollcrest campus.
A StreetFest Mentor will have the opportunity to…
- Participate in Service-Learning with first year Calvin students in a local community. This could mean anything from pulling weeds in a community garden to walking through a Grand Rapids neighborhood and learning more about it.
- Learn about the reciprocal exchange that is service-learning and possibly gain a new perspective on a local agency and community.
- Hang out with college students for a day.
Mentors should know that they will not be responsible for actually leading a group. A student StreetFest leader will be trained and assigned to each group. Being a StreetFest mentor will be an excellent opportunity to foster relationships with students and in the community as you together serve and learn.
StreetFest Daily Schedule for Mentors
Thursday September 4, Friday September 5, Saturday September 6
8:45-9:00 Check-in and Breakfast (Chapel Undercroft)
At this time you will pick up your t-shirt and your Mentor Packet which will contain your StreetFest site and other information. You will also be directed towards the Streetfest leader with whom you will be working.
9:00-9:20 Mentor Training (Chapel Undercroft)
You and your StreetFest leader will be briefed about your roles in StreetFest, and you will have a chance to ask any last minute questions.
9:20-9:30 Transition to Chapel (or further training in the undercroft if you so choose)
9:30-10:00 Worship service (Chapel)
At this time, you may sit with your group, your StreetFest leader, Orientation Leader, etc. Enjoy the service; take this time out to worship!
10:00-10:10 Transition to breakout session (Chapel)
Lunches will be outside the chapel lobby for you and the students to pick-up as everyone leaves the worship service. From the chapel, everyone will go to the classroom you have been assigned for your break-out session.
10:10-11:00 Break-out sessions (assigned classroom – HH/SC/SB)
Join your StreetFest group as the StreetFest leaders lead a break-out session. Depending on your transportation, your group might do of the break-out session at Calvin, on the way to the site, or at the site.
11:00-11:30 Transportation to site
11:30-12:00 Lunch and agency orientation
You will have the opportunity to ask questions regarding the neighborhood in which the agency is located, the mission of the agency, etc.
12:00-3:00 Work projects
3:00-3:30 Reflection
This is the time for a group discussion based on the “Reflection guide” which you received. Again, this time varies according to your transportation. Reflection time may take place once you return to Calvin.
3:30-4:00 Transportation back to Calvin
4:00 Arrive back at Calvin, check in at Commons Annex
At this time, the StreetFest student group will head to the Commons Annex to check in their recyclable materials, etc. As a mentor, you are finished for the day. Thanks so much for giving of your time to serve the community and our first year students!
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