Service learning, suitcases and airports, oh my!

A couple nights ago, in the middle of a minor panic attack about packing, I received a (long awaited) email about my service placement that gave me some much-needed perspective. 

I chose this program because of the service aspect. No, I'm not going to fix all of South Africa's problems while I'm there (far from it), but I will be able to learn about them, and maybe make a small difference for the people I work with. Learning through service is simply the best way to learn. It's a way to convert the extreme privilege of education into something that adds to the greater good of our increasingly global community. How could I live in a country for five months without giving something back, without becoming involved in the community?

That said, I have been placed at an organization called Dance for All . For those of you reading from Birmingham, it's a lot like Children's Dance Foundation. Dance for All's mission is to provide children in historically disadvantaged communities with the opportunity for enjoyment, promotion of self esteem and empowerment through the medium of dance, as well as training professional dancers and developing a unique, indigenous dance company. I am THRILLED to be working there.

I started this post in Birmingham, worked on it in Chicago, and now I'm posting it from South Africa! I'll update soon.