CHECK OUT THE NEW PROJECT VIDEO!

Here's our latest video from the participants of the A Day in the Life Project.  Everybody had a great time and it comes through in this video.  We are working on upcoming projects to cover Los Angeles, The San Francisco area and Detroit.  We are in great need of digital camera's to be donated.  The more camera's we have, the more kids that can be involved.  So please "GIVE A KID A CAMERA".  Visit our website www.adayinthelifeproject.org to see how.

Reading Is So Fundamental!

Reading is so fundamental!  Many times, we take for granted that kids at a certain age should be good readers and no longer need our assistance.  Many times, this is true.  But, there are some kids that actually still slip through the cracks, especially our under-served and at-risk youth in lower income areas.  We assume that they can read and don't rely so much on helping them in that area.  We look at math, english, science, history.  Although these too are extremely important academic subjects, the root of the problem of failure and/or poor grades can sometimes be the mere fact that the child doesn't know how to read very well or alarmingly, at all!  I challenge each of you today, to sit with a child, even a kid of elementary, Jr. High or even high school level and read with them.  Have them actually read out loud to you.

This problem can often be detected and worked through when the child is very young.  The younger the detection, the better.  Please read with a child today and help where needed.  It makes you feel so good to give back.

"My 8th Grade Reader"...

Reading is so important and key to our successes in our futures!  As some of you may know, I have been working one-on-one with an 8th grade boy who is reading at about a 1st grade level.  It has been a wide eye opening experience for me.  I have been working with him for approximately 2 weeks now.  Our daily meeting place is the library of his junior high.  In the past, he has taken the initiative to go around the library and choose books that he thought would be good for him to work on his reading.  Unfortunately, many of the books that are at his reading level are not at his age level and appeared very "babyish" and somewhat embarrassing for him to read.  So, I went on a mission to the internet and a visit to Borders books.  At Borders, I went straight to the children's book department and told an employee of the task at hand.  I need a "high interest book at a low reading level".  She was unbelievably patient and very much interested in helping my "8th Grade Reader".  We agreed on (amongst a couple of other shorter books) the widely popular story, The Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.  We began reading the book yesterday and so far, it's a success.  He was reading and laughing.  There were some words that were easy for him (some of the basic sight words, "the" "it" "boy" "tell" "smart" etc.) and some more challenging words (such as "through" "handsome" "childhood" "journal" "diary").  He did well!  He was laughing and liked the cartoon drawings and was so far, able to follow the story nicely on his own,  and sometimes with a little help.  I think it has a nice balance of ease (so as not to discourage) and challenge (to grow).

As promised, we will keep you posted with future updates on his progress.

What's Important?

© a day in the life project, inc. 2011

At the end of it all, a really important part is you giving of yourself to somebody!  Choose what it is that you are passionate about and/or that you believe strongly in, and share that with somebody.  You never know how you will affect another person just simply by sharing a little of yourself with them.  Everybody wants to feel important, cared about, and that like they are a part of something.  In working with A Day in the Life Project, Inc., our volunteers and staff work with youth, professionals, and communities through the art of photography.  Here everybody gets to be an artist and to share their view, and their world, literally through their eyes.  Take a look at how engaged the kids are in this picture.  They can't wait to get out there and express themselves through photography!  What a great day of photographing A Day in the Life!

We are so excited to be blogging!  Continue to follow us through our projects and experiences.  We look forward to having you along.