CASE Afterschool program gives amazing opportunities for youth, but it also helps our volunteers and staff. They get to work with youth and develop important skills related to youth empowerment. When I was in college, I got to work with youth at summer camp in North Carolina. The experience helped equip me with important skills that I still rely on today.
I wanted to interview a few of our volunteers and see how CASE has helped them develop as people. I interviewed two of our volunteers: Erin Gammil and Olivia Lasater. They are both in their third year of college, and they have done wonderful work in our program.
What made you want to volunteer for CASE? Did you have any expectation for what volunteering with CASE would look like?
Erin: Mostly because there was a need for volunteers! Both times I’ve been a volunteer for CASE there’s been a site that needed another adult there to help and support the kids, so that’s what I became. I expected CASE to be challenging but fulfilling, and that’s pretty much what I’ve always gotten.
Olivia: I wanted to volunteer for CASE because I am passionate about youth empowerment. I loved the intentionality of the program to invest into students and I wanted to be a part of it. I didn't have any expectations for what volunteering with CASE would look like, but I was excited for the opportunity to work alongside my friends (who also volunteer/work with CASE) as we served youth together!
When you first started volunteering at CASE, what were some challenges you faced?
Erin: I struggled to draw the line between when the youth need correction and when they just need to be able to be kids. Discipline was and still is hard for me to implement because I have a lot of compassion for them, and I forget that it’s also an act of love to teach them what is inappropriate behavior. I’ve gotten better over time, though.
Olivia: When I first started volunteering at CASE, I had to figure out what my role was. I wasn't able to be there everyday with them. Due to this and the brokenness that we witnessed in many students' lives, I felt defeated and conflicted on how I could be a benefit to the youth or make any impact in their lives.
In facing these challenges, what skills have you learned from CASE that you think will benefit you even beyond doing work in an after-school program?
Erin: Learning the balance between discipline and letting them de-stress from a long day is super beneficial. I’ve also learned the importance of being an example to children, and that adults aren’t supposed to try to be friends or peers with kids. We, as authority figures in their lives, are supposed to teach them how to mature and develop well, not be their friends.
Olivia: I have learned how to better work as a team rather than carrying an individualistic mindset of what I can do by myself. Learning how to identify the gifts within my team members, then work together in unity as we carry out our different roles has been one of the most beneficial skills I've learned. I've gained skills in taking ownership of the responsibilities given to me along with confidence in what God has given me to offer to others. I have learned the value of being a compassionate, listening ear to youth who don't often have the opportunity to talk to an adult who has the time to sit and listen. Overall, I'm confident that all of the skills I have learned through volunteering for CASE will continue to benefit me beyond doing work in an after-school program.
As a college student, do you think volunteering for CASE has had a beneficial impact on your overall education?
Erin: Oh yes, 100%. CASE has given me a venue to constantly employ what I’m learning in school in a way that can also benefit the kids I’m working with. It teaches valuable lessons on things like endurance, creativity, ingenuity, interpersonal skills, and professionalism. CASE is in its own way a special training ground for the students who volunteer. Nothing forces a person to implement love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, and humility like working with middle schoolers. It changes you.
Olivia: Absolutely. CASE has provided for me an avenue of learning how to put into practice the Word that I have been receiving over the past few years. I've seen a student transform during their time at CASE from being constantly filled with anxiety and stress, to a confident, joyful kid known for excitedly welcoming every new student who comes to CASE. This is only one of many examples that I could give.
CASE is a program of the Nashville After Zone Alliance. The Nashville After Zone Alliance is a network of coordinated after school programming for Metro’s middle-school students. NAZA is a partnership among the Nashville Public Library, MNPS, and other existing youth-serving groups. It is modeled on successful efforts in other cities and is organized around geographically-defined zones.
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