What? So What? Now What?

Although there was some tired faces at the beginning of the event, there was an energy that surged through the participants during the group activities. Even though the community service event was not a competition, students wanted to beat the other team and complete their bicycle first. It was awesome to see so many people from different universities and backgrounds coming together to complete each team-building task at the community service event.

There were multiple tasks that we, as a group, had to tackle. These different activities made my team grow closer. Each task involved collaboration, persistence, and imagination. My team discussed the different ways that each task could be completed before trying to test out the activity. The main method my team used was trial and error. If one of the solutions did not work we would try to figure out the best next possible solution. I was anticipating more of a community service event than a social event. During the school year I am part of a group, Red Shoe Crew, which works closely with the Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor. It was amazing to see that everyone was having a fun experience helping out the families that definitely needed a pick-me-up.

It was great to have the opportunity to network, especially with the student not from the University of Michigan. I thought more community service could have been accomplished with the time that we spent with the group activities. I think it would be beneficial to maintain the team-building experience, while also expanding the community service aspect of the event. Saying all of that, seeing the smile on the girl's face when she was riding the bike we built for her was extremely rewarding.

The experience demonstrated that even small tasks working towards a larger goal are a good way to foster collaboration between different people and to form new relationships. All of us can apply these skills in our own lab as we continue to interact with others in a work environment throughout the summer.