From the president
Annie Robinson, a rising senior, is a student leader who has worked with local elementary school principals to design a program that trains Bates volunteers in how to help children develop social-emotional skills through play. With support from Annie, our students teach children both how to play specific games, and more importantly how to use important skills such as cooperation, collaboration, and patience. The combination of Annie’s connective skills and her commitment to this program has allowed her to recruit dozens of Bates volunteers to this program. Annie also played a key role in designing a city-wide Halloween event on the Bates campus just days after a mass shooting event in the local community. The event was designed to welcome residents back into relationship with each other in a safe, family-friendly environment. Thanks in no small part to her effective leadership, over fifty student clubs and teams got organized to distribute 50,000 pieces of candy and even more love to their Lewiston neighbors on a remarkable night of connection and shared healing. Annie continues to play a key leadership role in this now annual community event.
Personal Statement
Some of the most insightful and rewarding experiences I have had in college are from moments on the playground, talking with elementary school students about their days, their drama, and their friends. The playground can be an especially stressful location for kids, and teachers don’t have the resources to monitor every child on the playground. The playground is a vital space for
learning social skills, and often negative patterns are learned. Lewiston is a community where Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills in younger students have always been a concern, and the pandemic exacerbated any pre existing issues. Having college students act as positive role models on the playground helps encourage inclusion and an opportunity to enhance SEL skills through play. As an Outreach Fellow for the Playground Pals program, I connect Bates College students with kids at local Lewiston elementary schools, supporting a stronger relationship between the college and the city. Bates students will participate as part of a class, with their team, with their friends, or on their own volition. The program has taught me how civic engagement is often less about grand gestures, and rather about showing up consistently and building relationships. A stronger connection between two people helps kids feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts and experiences, making the playground a more rewarding place.