Being a Volunteer at the Children's Museum of Atlanta by Nia

Being a Volunteer at the Children's Museum of Atlanta by Nia - May 2018 Scholarship Essay

It has always been a philosophy through my family that it is important to give back to the community in any way one can. Up to this point in my life where, although my school workload tends to deem things slightly difficult, I push myself and younger siblings to work with their community as often as possible. In doing so, I’ve come across the ability to volunteer at The Children’s Museum of Atlanta, something I believe all youth should do because of the eye-opening experience that it offers our easily-molded minds.
It goes without saying that children tend to be quite ignorant of the world around them. Although an arguable point, I can see that ideology blossom through the museum in a multitude of ways, all of them beneficial. The children that visit never seem to amaze me with their incredible positivity and level-headed mindset. For instance, when I crouch down to pick up toys, it’s typical for me to see two young ones playing together. The ability for these children. who were originally strangers, to completely ignore their differences, whether in gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background is admirable and it goes without saying that behavior like this is needed in a world that is constantly in a state of seemingly unending disarray. A state in which men, who could be amiable to each other circumstances aside from the war and battlefield, share an overwhelming amount of hatred for each other. The museum has given me the opportunity to cherish these moments of peace that encompass childhood which has the potential to tear down the barriers that we’ve created in society, something that I couldn’t have found anywhere else.
Volunteering, in general, has taught to have an appreciation for different aspects of life, but the Children’s Museum of Atlanta has instilled in me a completely new mindset with regards to the importance of having a loving family in a child’s life. Because I usually help out on the weekends, I often see parents or grandparents bringing their young ones along for visits. Whether it’s a family from Seoul, South Korea or from Clayton County, Georgia, I see the significance that familial bonding has in people. It makes me smile to see the children eagerly “cook” for their guardians in the play kitchen and wave to them from the highest point in the climbing playground. Being able to see how parents, no matter the social status, make an effort to set work aside to willingly play with their children is incredible, and the museum has influenced me to do the same with my mine in the future.
The Children’s Museum of Atlanta is somewhere that I’ve learned to be patient, understanding, and how to appreciate a childlike outlook on life. They are in the process of growing independent, free thinkers with insurmountably positive mindsets. It’s for this reason that I suggest that my peers volunteer when they are able, and it is why I look forward to my continued participation there.