One community service experience that I have had at UMass has been working as a lab assistant. In spring 2023, I worked in Dr. Megan Gross’s bilingual language development lab, where I had many roles. I worked collaboratively in creating arts and crafts that went along with a bilingual book read to the participants. I also went to a center in Holyoke, called Enlace de Familias, where other lab members and I offered to babysit the children of families while the parents learned about cooking and about the Dr. Megan Gross’s study of bilingualism. We also went to a school in Northampton, where Dr. Megan Gross talked to families about the study while we babysat the toddlers and did some activities that went along with the bilingual book that we brought to keep the children entertained. In the lab, I had the role of transcribing what the children responded to each picture of the study, whether it was in English, Spanish, or code-switching. It is interesting to see children ages 4-7 and how they respond to bilingualism. I would recommend community service, because seeing how you can positively influence others’ lives is a very rewarding experience. In my case, I loved helping children develop their language skills and become bilingual in order to have better opportunities in the future.
Community Service Experience
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