November Enrichments With MDC Honor College Students

Miami-Dade College professor, Alex Salinas, has had a long standing relationship with the Dreamers. He has known them since they were in first grade and has always enlisted the help of his college students to work with the Dreamers on various engaging activities and the month of November was no different.

For three days in November, students from MDC's Honors College at Inter-American Campus decided to have a series of enrichments entitled "College Advice from ACTUAL College Students."


Professor Salinas addresses a group of 32 Dreamers



November 2 2011: Day One
The first day was great! It began with the icebreaker "Connect." One person begins the game by standing up and stating their name and sharing something about themselves, such as hobby or favorite food. People in the audience are then suppose to shout "connect," run up, and link arms with the person standing if they share something in common. It was a nice way to introduce everyone and share something unique. A short presentation was then given by student Leana Ramos about the college experience and the requirements for getting into college. Topics mentioned were: having a high GPA; using your interests and hobbies to help decide on a major; and study habits. Very important information! The first day ended with another icebreaker "Agree/Disagree", in which students moved to opposites ends of the room to show their approval or disapproval for certain issues/questions. Some questions asked were: will money solve all problems? is age a factor in wisdom? This icebreaker sparked great conversation among the Dreamers.
 

"Connect"
   

November 23 2011: Day Two

For the first activity, Dreamers divided into three groups. The task was to build a tower using note cards. The catch: Dreamers had to use ONE hand and NO talking was allowed. For 10 minutes the room was completely quiet while Dreamers worked on the task, which was very funny to watch! Dreamers Estrella, Precious, & Jaimesha said "creativity", "eye contact", and "team work" were necessary to complete the task. Well done ladies!!

The day ended with the Dreamers breaking up into small interest groups: arts, law enforcement, engineering, medical, psychology, and business. Each group was headed by one or two college students who were able to answer questions about those majors. Dreamers we very engaged. They were speaking to people who are actually majoring in the same thing they want to do in college.

The artistic group

Our future engineers :)

November 30 2011: Day Three

The MDC students welcomed Dreamers with Chinese food! For this day, Dreamers were asked to showcase a talent. As such, Myeisha, Emanuella, Jamee, and Jaimesha performed a dance for the entire group :) The day ended with a one of the college students showcasing his karate skills...he is a black belt!!

Ladies, you made Cristian Mena very happy!

Awesome karate skills...wished I videotaped it instead

Professor Salinas' lesson: "The words 'thank you' and 'thought' are cousins. To say 'thank you' means to 'have you in my thoughts'." Throughout the three days that the MDC students worked with the Dreamers, they always began each day by saying "thank you." Thanks to professor Salinas' lesson, those common words take on a new meaning.

A very special thank you to Professor Salinas, Professor Gonzalez, Dr. Feignbaum, Persaud Dharam, & ALL the Honor College students who came to spend time with the Dreamers. The Dreamers have been on numerous college tours, but through the November enrichments, you allowed them to view the college experience through a different lens. We will always have you in our thoughts too!!

Thanksgiving Baskets: Family Day at the JCC

Over the past few years, the Dreamers and their families have volunteered with the Thanksgiving Basket Fund at Dave & Mary Alper Jewish Community Center (JCC). Located in the heart of Kendell, JCC provides many opportunities for the Jewish community and South-Dade residents to enjoy recreational, educational, cultural, and social activities.

On November 20, 2011 a total of 31 Dreamers and their families took a trip to the JCC to participate in the Thanksgiving Basket Fund. For two hours, Dreamers made Thanksgiving greeting cards (for their families and other families in need) and over 100 Thanksgiving baskets!!! A special thank you to Mrs. Sheila Stieglitz, who does a great job of coordinating the Thanksgiving Basket Fund every year and to the mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and brothers who decided to come and support their Dreamer!!



Choosing the right crayons is a very serious job :) Malik



Adrian: Keyelah's little sister...she made very pretty cards with feathers :)



Time to get creative!!

Ms. Davis & her grand-daughter (Myeisha) making a basket

Ms. Bryd, her daughter, and Ms. Spells

Ms. Harris and her sons :)

Mrs. Jackson

The finished product: over 100 baskets!!!



Biscayne Bay Aquatics Preserves at Pelican Harbor Marina

On November 5th 2011, the Dreamers took a field trip to one of Biscayne Bay's Aquatic Preserves sites, Pelican Harbor Marina. Located right off of 79th Street Causeway, Dreamers spent a a few hours doing water quality testing.

Upon arriving, the group was warmly welcomed by environmental specialists Susan Leser and Pamela Sweeney, along with other staff volunteers. The group then walked to the west end of the facility, which had an AMAZING view of the ocean. The Dreamers were then split into three groups, which they rotated throughout the day. Group One tested the bay by using a YSI Meter to measure dissolved oxygen; Group Two used refractometers to measure salt levels in ocean water compared to tap and distilled water; and Group Three used a Succi Disk to measure turbidity/visibility. The three groups came together at the end and played Spin the Wheel. But instead of money, the pointer fell on different marine life in Biscayne Bay; and the Dreamers discussed how oxygen levels, salt levels, and turbidity affect the marine life.

Most importantly, the field trip helped some of the Dreamers with science project ideas of their own. To end the day, we spent the last 20 minutes eating lunch at the Marina, taking pictures, and simply enjoying the scenery!

Many thanks to Susan Leser, Pamela Sweeney, and everyone at Pelican Harbor Marina! We really enjoyed it!




Environmental Specialists Susan Leser and Pamela Sweeney welcomes IHAD

 


A westward view from the Marina

 


The Dreamers are divided into three groups to do water quality testing

 


Milton Stubbs and few other Dreamers using a YSI Meter to measure dissolved oxygen in the bay



Dreamers using refractometers to measure salinity in different types of water

  


Smile :)

 

Hairspray: The Broadway Musical!

On October 23 2011, thirty three Dreamers went to see the musical Hairspray! The musical was showcased at the Actor's Playhouse in Coral Gables, but before heading to the theater, the group dined at California Pizza Kitchen. The restauarnt, located one block from the theater, was a nice treat to begin a Sunday afternoon. Dreamers had the choice of a cheese pizza dish or ceasar salad, both of which were delicious! A speacial thank you to the restaurant's manager, Blaze, and his kind staff.

After our lunch at California Pizza Kitchen, the group then headed over to the theater. Many of the Dreamers may have been apprehensive about seeing the play, probably thought it was going to be "boring", but many seemed to enjoyed it. Aside from the funny potrayal of teenage life, the Dreamers, for the most part, got the message the musical was trying to convey: music and dance is a good tool to unite people of different races...integration not segregation!!

Program for the show

Some of the female Dreamers looking extra pretty for the day's event :)



Mr. Lewis in a suit!! Setting a WONDERFUL example for the male Dreamers




Dining at California Pizza Kitchen in Coral Gables



The stage in the theater

BankUnited Tour

On Thursday September 29, 2011, IHAD-Overtown, Inc. toured the BankUnited branch in Miami Lakes.  Our collaboration with BankUnited began last school year when SVP-Mtge. Division- Eric D. and his staff provided our Dreamers and Families with Money Matters workshops. Today, we were invited to get an up close/behind the scenes look at how one of Florida's largest bank branches (employing over 580) operates on a daily basis. Our trip  began with all of our Dreamers being greeted by smiling staff members and receiving ID badges, the group was then escorted to one of "many" conference rooms, where they were treated to a continental breakfast.  The Dreamers were given tips on "First Impressions" by Eric D. and Mary H., who both gave us insight to the "do's and don'ts" of the corporate world of work.  The remainder of the day consisted of learning about: Mortgage Services, Human Resources, Accounting & Finance, Enterprise Risk Management, and a first hand look at the Call Center.  At the conclusion of our day, the Dreamers were treated with all the Papa John's pizza and soda they could stomach, gift bags, but most of all, a real life understanding of how the banking world works.  Special Thanks to our tour guides (bank employees): Rennie R., Omar R., Michael D., Suzanne R., Jackie R., and Danny S.

College Tour in Tallahassee, Florida

On July 24^th 2011 twenty-seven Dreamers left Miami, Florida at 10:30AM and embarked on an eight-hour bus ride to Tallahassee, our state’s capital, on an enormous blue coach bus. The purpose of the trip was to visit two universities (Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and Florida State University) and the Old and New Florida Capitol buildings.

Having to sit for eight hours isn’t the most pleasing thing in the world, but the bus ride to Tallahassee was very fun. It was like a huge slumber party!! We all had our pillows, P-Jays, and blankets. Whether we slept, watched endless amounts of DVDs, or listened to music, there was never a dull a moment!! For most of the Dreamers, this was their first time going to the state’s capital. Therefore, the constant greenery, hills, and brick buildings were a nice contrast to what is normally seen in Miami. We finally reached Tallahassee at 6:30PM and our first night there was spent eating dinner at Applebee’s and spending FOREVER in the indoor swimming pools at the Courtyard Marriot Hotel.

Our Monday morning started with a tour of the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) campus, the home of the infamous Rattlesnakes and the Marching 100 marching band. After a very informative session with an Admissions representative, which the Dreamers took copious notes, the FAMU tour began! We saw the football arena, the bookstore, residential, chemistry and the performing arts buildings. Members of a fraternity were also kind enough to perform for us!! Our tour guide, Brandon, ended the tour with an interesting history fact: FAMU was built on the Duval property, a prominent slave plantation.

Our next stop was Florida State University (FSU). We were amazed at the size of FAMU, but FSU was ENORMOUS!! According to our guide, Jacqueline, the university was built with over 15 million bricks and started as women’s college. Similar to the admissions’ session at FAMU, the Dreamers also learned about the minimum requirements for admission into FSU. Many of the Dreamers were also happy to know that double majoring is an option for them if they decided to attend FSU. Overall, most of the Dreamers seemed to favor FSU over FAMU, but FAMU was more appealing to the students who wanted to major in fields associated with engineering, while those interested in law and the performing arts wished to attend FSU. Whichever they decide, the Dreamers will do GREAT!

The trip to Tallahassee ended on Tuesday after our visit to the Old and New Florida Capitol buildings. This is the building were Florida senators and representatives come to make decisions that affect the entire state. The Dreamers actually sat in the rooms where the senators and representatives meet to deliberate! We then traveled to the 22^nd floor where we had a beautiful view of the entire downtown Tallahassee area. Like the day prior, again we learned an interesting fact: the capitol building is the tallest building in Tallahassee!

The college tour was awesome! Although none of the Dreamers were ready for it to end, they left Tallahassee with a clearer idea of the possibilities offered to them in higher education.

Group picture before we begin the college tour

Hearing from a FAMU representative the requirements for admissions into the university

Walking across FAMU's campus

Fact of the Day: FSU was built with over 15 million bricks!!

Sitting on the steps of the Old Capitol building...the tallest building in Tallahassee!

2011 Summer Academy

For 21 days (June 23-July 21), the Dreamers spent part of their summer in Summer Academy at Florida International University.  For the first part of each day, the Dreamers rotated between three academic courses: mathematics, language arts, and college prep. To make things more interesting, the Dreamers were split into three teams where competitions were held in each academic class. Opportunities for points were based on attendance, behavior, participation, and actual Team Competitions (such as Math Jeopardy, which was super fun!!)

The second part of each day was spent in an enrichment activity held either by the College of Engineering, College of Nursing, College of Law, or the Black Student Union. For the College of Engineering, the Dreamers spent the entire summer building bridges constructed simply from popsicle sticks and wood glue! The goal was to build a bridge that held at least 4 pounds, but the Dreamers exceeded this goal: one group of students, lead by Narquavia Brown, built a bridge that held 138 pounds!! One group had such great architectural design of their bridge and had the opportunity to present it to the Dean of the College of Engineering…AWESOME.

The Dreamers also engaged in exciting activities with the College of Nursing. They learned about athletic training; how to treat concussions and spinal cord injuries; and occupational and physical therapy. The Dreamers seemed to enjoy the simulation activities the most, where life size manikins served as patients. The manikins were computerized and Dreamers were able to feel the manikins’ pulse and test their blood pressure! The College of Law was also interesting especially for the Dreamers aspiring to be lawyers and judges. Learned the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony; and also learned the appropriate conditions under which police officers are able to stop, arrest, and question people. Most importantly, the Dreamers learned the steps necessary to get into a law school.

The Black Student Union (BSU) also had nice activities planned for the Dreamers. Dreamers played Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-BSU Edition and heard a poem recited by one the BSU members, which the Dreamers seemed to like a lot (the poet repeated her poem twice!). BSU members also lead important discussion topics such as bullying and decision-making. BSU ended their session with the Dreamers with a few “old school” childhood games: Heads Up 7 Seven Up and Four Corners!! Although teenagers now, the Dreamers enjoyed themselves!

Most teenagers want nothing to do with school during the summer, but the Dreamers were willing to attend Summer Academy anyway…they’re AWESOME!!!

Building bridges out of popsicle sticks and wood glue

Athletic Trainers taught us how to test for concussions

                                

Simulation activities with the College of Nursing

                                  

Treating victims of spinal cord injuries

                                  

Mr. Lewis and a few Dreamers