Over the course of my summer with Beacon House, I not only gained valuable skills, but I
also developed a deep understanding of how community centers like Beacon House
play an essential role in shaping and supporting the lives of kids and families. This
experience has shaped my perspective on service and community. Through the lens of
a someone who is not a native to DC I had the opportunity to truly see how a community
center operates in a metro area. On the surface, it may seem like a simple
concept—providing programs and resource and a place to commune for kids K-12 , but
from my first interaction with the kids, I realized that the work being done at Beacon
House was so much more than that. It wasn’t just about providing help, but it was also about
creating a network of support, a safe space, and a sense of belonging for every child
who walks in. From the programs designed in education, social emotional development,
and mental health, each initiative was crafted with the community’s needs at its heart.
Being part of Beacon House allowed me to understand the mechanics of running
a community center during the summer. There’s a balance between offering a structured
educational program, but also staying true to the phrase “summer vacation” requires
careful planning and resource management which was excellently displayed at Beacon
House. Additionally, my experience at Beacon House taught me a great deal about
teamwork, and how community centers rely heavily on collaboration. Both within the
organization and with external partners.
Another important takeaway from my time at Beacon House was a deeper
understanding of the challenges many kids face in their daily lives. Working directly with
kids from the DC area allowed me to have a deeper understanding of what community
means for DC. Watching these kids play but also explore the opportunities given to
them was so wonderful and I appreciated the opportunity to spend some time with them.
I also was able to learn practical skills in website development when building an
arsenal of resource for the community through the BRYCE website updating. This task
allowed me to do a thorough review of the tools that were put into place to address
mental health within this community. This task was unique to this community because
the website is tailored to fit the mental health needs of everyone. This
was once again a way that Beacon House is truly set apart from other community
centers. In addition to my work on the website, I was also able to help implement a
social emotional learning curriculum for little Beacon House and construct a pre and
post survey for them.
Overall, my time at Beacon House was very valuable. I have gained practical
skills in organization, website development, teamwork, and understanding the value of
community. I would recommend anyone who has a chance to work with this
organization to take advantage of this opportunity!