For the first time on the trip we traveled to the Youth Village where we would spend the entirety of our day. Unlike the last few days in which we spent the majority of our time interacting directly with children in some fashion or another, we reversed roles a little bit today and became somewhat of a beneficiary of the services offered by the program.
Upon arrival we were met by volunteer coordinator, Mr. Joe, who enlightened us about the Youth Village's history, who they serve, how they serve them, and how we can help. He escorted us to a classroom that we found littered with African drums, maps, whiteboards, drumsticks, and chairs doubling as drum thrones. Shortly thereafter, instructor Mr. Gordon entered the room, and he educated us about the "Therapeutic Drumming Program" that exists here at the Youth Villages. This African Drums program engages participants in a stimulating and challenging activity that teaches musical skills and develops hand-eye coordination to all those sitting in the circle. Furthermore, it has been proven that 30 minutes of this activity will reduce feelings of anger and depression and improve the spirits of participants involved. Several groups of students rotated in and out of the classroom as we honed in our percussion skills throughout the day. We saw age groups ranging from elementary-aged students all the way up to high school seniors, and we were able to see firsthand the principles and values that the staff is instilling in these youth.
As an illustration of these standards the staff is teaching and reinforcing in their students, I will use an example from our day. The Youth Village sees mistakes as a positive thing—an opportunity to learn from our blunders and improve as people. So anytime that someone made a mistake in his or her responsibility as a drummer, all other participants would raise their hands and proclaim "MIIIIISTAAAKE!" cheerfully in unison. Needless to say, we were all on the receiving end of this exclamation on several occasions. Additionally, we were able to hear from the Youth Village's college recruiter about internships and positions available, and we learned from the staff's experiences and expertise that they have garnered over their tenures.
After spending an extra hour or so under the tutelage of Mr. Gordon and expressing ourselves through some extravagant solos, we headed home for an evening together at our current home—the Germantown Presbyterian Church. We were all fortunate enough to be the lucky recipients of Chef Cecelia's delicious concoction that she prepared for dinner, and we enjoyed a nice family meal followed by a scrumptious ice cream cake dessert. Here's some photo evidence to provide you with a visual of yet another phenomenal day of service here in Memphis, TN.
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