The Finale

After I finished the shelf, I gave it to the Lanakila Head Start, as a gift or a donation. I thought it was a great gift even if it was not necessarily needed. It brought more color to the already colorful environment and smiles on everyone's faces. When I dropped it off, the children were having naptime, so I do not know how they will react to it. I hope I make a difference in their lives. I hope that they wake up to the new shelf and they notice that it is there.
I am happy that I did this project because I was able to internally touch these people. It also made me recognizable in the Lanakila Head Start community. I do not know if I necessarily 'helped' them but I like feeling that I was able to provide.
The new space that the shelf is able to provide can be very helpful in holding school materials for the children, or maybe their drawing papers. I just hope they find it helpful.
I had fun doing this project because it gave me an excuse to paint. Usually I would not find the time in my busy schedule. I also feel like over the 3rd quarter, I created a bond with the Lanakila Head Start family. It makes me feel good to put smiles on their faces.

Project Process

The first step of this process was to build the shelf. I did not build it entirely on my own however because I needed help with holding and screwing ect. Basically, I took five pieces of wood. Three of one size, and two of another, longer size, and I screwed them together to create a three-level shelf.

The general shape was pretty basic. It was not a complicated shelf at all. I figured that it would do the same job as any other shelf, and it also gave me a lot of painting room. This picture is the final shelf that was put together. You can see how simple it really is.

The next step was the painting part. At first, I planned on organizing an event and invite a lot of people to help me paint, but that was when my idea was to paint a table. I decided to just paint the shelf on my own because it was pretty small. I guess I figured it would get crowded otherwise. I could also take my time and make this from me and for the Head Start that I served my community service time at.

I tried to paint patterns with basic recognizable shapes that the preschoolers would be able to recognize. I also added a little bit of me by putting my hand prints at the top.

Importance of Early Education

Being provided with education in the first six years of your life is very crucial. It is within those years that a child has very sensitive learning skills and it is when the child is able to develop the basics. Their sensorial, language, math and cognitive skills are first acquired during these years, and as children grow older, their learning revolves around what they have soaked in during the first six years of their lives. The early years of a child's life is devoted to his "self identification" getting to know his own identity. This is considered very crucial because it builds an impression on the mind of the child how they first see themselves, how they think they should act or function and how they expect other people to function in relation to them. Early childhood education the right time for the child to learn because this is the stage of life where a child is willing to explore new things and ideas. It is the stage of eager and aggressive learning. That is why early education is so important. Children learn at different rates, but just having the opportunity to have an education, is the best. The Oahu Head Start Programs do a great deed by helping out the underpriviledged families who can barely afford any other kind of schooling. The Oahu Head Start Programs are promoting the idea of early education that I also believe in. I believe that every family should have equal opportunities. I decided to help out the Head Start Programs because they do not always have materials like other priviledged schools. I wanted to provide to them so that the children of the Lanakila Head Start could have something that was brand new and 'fresh.' Something with a lot of color to brighten up their classroom. I wanted to improve their learning environment.

Economics Factor

The HCAP Head Start Program was created in order to help disadvantaged families send their preschoolers to school. You have to qualify to be able to send your child into the Head Start Community. Head Starts are federally funded and they really take care of the children. Parents are able to have their kids spend either half of the day or full days at the school, where they provide you with necessary meals and learning actions. But because the Head Start Program is not provided with a lot of money either, some of their materials are used and fragile. This is where the economics portion of my project came in. I tried not to have to spend any money in creating my shelf because I wanted to show that people can find tools and materials around their houses and if they put their mind to it, they can put something amazing together. Well I built a simple shelf. It does not have to be complicated in order for it to be efficient.

http://www.oahuheadstart.org/

Introduction to my Project

I love to paint. I love colors and combining colors to create other colors. I love the idea of the paintbrush hitting a surface and it being able to open a new horizon full of new images. I wanted to combine my passion for painting with my idea with helping the Lanakila Head Start's learning environment. I noticed that a lot of the furniture in the Lanakila Head Start was run down and losing its' color and spunk. That is when I had the idea to somehow manage to get a piece furniture and turn it into something colorful and pretty. I wanted a piece of furniture that was somewhat new that would be a great addition to the
I had many ideas on how I was going to get this piece of furniture. I searched throughout Goodwill stores for a desk or a shelf but I was unable to find the kind of furniture I was looking for. They were either too big or too small. Also, I did not want any designs on the piece of furniture either. It had to be plain so that it would be easier to paint. My first plan was to ask Goodwill employees if they would help me by donating this table to the Lanakila Head Start, but since I did not find any piece of furniture that I liked, I had to concoct a new plan. I decided that I would just build the piece of furniture myself. That way, the entire project would probably not requre much money, which help supported the Economics part of my project.
I built a simple shelf. After I built the shelf, I knew that I wanted to paint it. I did not know what I wanted to paint on it at first, but I decided that simple drawings would be the best for the young children. I wanted to paint things that they would recognize. And things that they could draw themselves, if they wanted to.
After I paint the shelf, my plan was to donate it to the Lanakila Head Start. I had already called them and told them about it in advance, so they know it is coming. But they have no idea what it looks like. I want my colorful shelf to be a surprise.

Introduction to CapSEEDS

As a student in Economics, we are required to engage in a Capseeds project that revolves around the idea of giving back. My Capseeds project focuses on early education, and what kinds of materials are needed to enhance a child's learning capability.
For my project, I had the idea of improving the Lanakila Head Start's learning environment. I asked a question directed (towards parents), asking "are your children in a sufficient learning environment?" By that I mean, do the children have the necessary materials to learn at their highest potential?
Children should be provided with materials that are in good shape to promote their learning. Materials should not be in a short, limited supply either. Also, in classrooms, the furniture (tables, chairs, desks) should be in good shape as well.
When I had community service at the Lanakila Head Start, I felt that it was in a very beat-up area. Everything seemed to be rundown. The furniture and the outside play structure were used a lot and it was easily noticeable. The tables are not sturdy and the play structure was covered with graffiti. Their pens were almost out of ink and the bristles on their toothbrushes were very frizzy. That is when many ideas came to my head for a project on helping out this environment.