![\"\"](\"http:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/fordscholars\/files\/2017\/08\/0111_17_07_KR_0050.jpg\")
<\/a>Photo Credit: \u00a9Vassar College\/ Karl Rabe<\/p><\/div>\n
So, what is R.E.A.L. Skills? To me, it first began as an acronym. Then, it was an acronym that had meaning – Relationship. Empowerment. Affirmation. Leadership (R.E.A.L.). By the end, it was an acronym whose meaning exemplified a lived philosophy – the lived philosophy of a youth empowerment organization that draws its strength from its community (Poughkeepsie, NY), and channels that strength into a force for growth and change. <\/span><\/p>\n As a <\/span>collaborative, feminist, and publicly engaged <\/span>anthropological project, our main research methodologies were participant observation and ethnography. Accordingly, Nic and I went into R.E.A.L Skills daily, and deeply immersed ourselves within the workings of the operation. Essentially, we each played two roles – full time staff members and researchers. As staff members (college fellows), we did everything from administrative support (constructing the Summer Learning Academy\u2019s schedule, preparing requirements for grant applications, and<\/span><\/p>\n Nic and Daniela leading a restructured Mentor STEM Training<\/p><\/div>\n assisting with the transition from the academic year to the Summer session), to preparing and facilitating mentor trainings, creating and teaching a lesson plan on a topic of our interest, and finally, to becoming mentors ourselves. The majority of our time was spent working with the high school mentors and adult staff to provide children from 1st through 5th grade with the best Summer experience possible.<\/span><\/p>\n As researchers, Nic and I tried to develop a conceptual map of the actors, services, and policies and that directly influence \u00a0R.E.A.L. Skills\u2019 operation. Our first task was understanding what R.E.A.L. Skills<\/span> is, and what it does. From its mission statement, we know that the program\u2019s initiatives are designed to teach at risk youth (youth with promise) how to navigate the paths of traditional social, educational, and judicial systems, and to understand and obtain mainstream skill competency levels and social values that would empower them to become more successful individuals.<\/span> Thus, participant observation allowed us see what parts of the program were narrowly tailored to meet said objectives, who were the main beneficiaries, and what unintended but positive consequences arose from them. <\/span><\/p>\n This Summer we witnessed and were part of two initiatives \u2013 the Summer Learning Academy for elementary school students and the Peer Mentors program designed for high school students. The Summer Learning Academy began the day with breakfast, followed by a community meeting in which values like honesty, integrity, and self-reflection were emphasized, then a word of the day activity ensued, and academics concluded the morning.\u00a0<\/span>This Summer, the academics portion was dedicated to making STEM feel fun and accessible to the children.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>