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Essay / A Reflection on the Beneficial Learning Experience at the Peace Corps 50th Anniversary Conference
I attended the Peace Corps 50th Anniversary Conference on September 8, 2O11 at 4:00 p.m. at the Cornelius Henderson Student Center. It was a beneficial learning experience for me about the Peace Corps, the Boys and Girls Club of America, and the Urban League of Greater Atlanta. The Peace Corps was established in 1961 to help promote peace and friendship around the world. Some of their many tasks include helping to limit the spread of AIDS and malaria and representing the faces of America with the help of a diverse and select group of well-trained men and women. The Boys and Girls Club of America was designed specifically to keep youth off the streets by creating a positive alternative for young people to turn to. These clubs can be found in public housing, public schools and military bases. These clubs serve approximately four million children with 50,000 professionals and 200,000 volunteers. The Urban League of Greater Atlanta is an organization dedicated to enabling African Americans and others to overcome misfortune, achieve economic security, and achieve the highest possible human potential. I was honored to participate in the discussion with our nation's service leaders, Roxanne Spillett, President and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of American, Aaron S. Williams, Director of the Peace Corps, and Nancy Flake Johnson , president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Atlanta. Important points were made in each of the leaders' speeches regarding their organization and their service opportunities. Each speaker spoke highly of their business and persuaded me to get involved and give back. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay At the event, each speaker gave a general explanation about their organization and service opportunities. The most interesting part of the event for me was Nancy Flake Johnson's speech. The study she mentioned, released by the National Urban League at a conference, about the African American community losing a third of its middle class to poverty really stood out to me. I was surprised that so many people let themselves fall into a statistic. It is very important that the African American community gets back on track. His speech really opened my eyes and persuaded me to join his company. One point that stood out to me in Roxanne Spillett's speech was the description of her experience in New Orleans. When she visited one of the Boys and Girls Clubs in New Orleans, she recounted how she saw that children had a thermometer hanging on the wall as if they were raising money for families affected by Katrina, but she was surprised when she discovered that it had nothing to do with fundraising and had everything to do with saving lives from malaria. A ten-dollar mosquito net can save a life in Africa. Their goal was to be able to send five hundred mosquito nets to save fifty lives. It touched my heart to hear how she connected with the children and learned from them at the same time. Aaron S. Williams' speech informed me the most about the exact mission of his organization. Most of us don't like the idea of joining the Peace Corps because we are constantly reminded of the dangers and safety risks that can arise. He assured me that the men and women chosen to participate in such an activity are in good hands and are not being thrown away.