WaysToMakeTheWorldABetterPlace

David's Work Experience took place at The Paradise Zone Youth Centre in the East End of London from the 4th to the 8th of April 2011 generally at the following times and changing according to needs: Monday 11am - 3pm & 5.30 - 9, Tuesday 11am - 7pm, Wednesday 10am - 3pm & 5.30 - 8pm, Thursday 10.30 – 3.30 & 5.30 – 8pm and Friday 11 - 5

David did lots of preparation before sessions like buying ingredients for cooking & planning activities like the 'Going Camping' game for the Young Leaders Project. For each session he set up the main room, put equipment, games and the Carrom Board out, switched the PS2 & WII on, set up the pool & table tennis tables, put out drinks and the fruit bowl, set up the art table, put music on & set up the IT room.

Other prep work he did included:

Risk assessment – looking at hazards etc
Session briefing & Reflection
Studied clubs policies & documents ie. Aims, Framework, Equal Ops
Learning British Sign Language

During sessions whether 1:1 or group evening Open Sessions or day time School Sessions or the Young Leader Project, David signed young people in, got to know them (even using BSL when he could) and worked with and supported them teaching skills and learning from them when appropriate. He ran activities like making origami bunnies and cards with young people with complex needs, did worksheets on subjects such as homophones with a home-schooled girl, ran a scavenger hunt round Poplar with the Young Leader Project and a plethora of other activities including Easter Egg Hunts and Egg and Spoon races, cooking chocolate Easter egg nests, playing musical bunny statues & cotton ball bunny tails with different groups. David also did things like set up the tables for lunch & clear up with the young people and after sessions evaluate the session with the team and switch off, put away, tidy up, clear away and lock up.

For specific groups David had to adapt activities like providing more support in activities for those with specific learning needs and disabilities, providing Easter egg alternatives as gifts for Easter when a member of the group was diabetic, in the Young Leader Project was willing to be led by other young people in games such as tangle hands and line up and used sign language as appropriate. As part of David's development and experience he also observed a British Sign Language Exam at an Idea Store, sat in on a Supervision meeting, climbed at the local Mile End Climbing wall, visited local meeting/eating places such as the Departure Lounge and Noodle Street and the centre cafe for Thursday Breakfast Club.