I went to Tamilnadu on April 2 and returned home on April 19. I worked as a volunteer at the Lions Aravind Institute of Community
Ophthalmology in Madurai. I helped build train the trainer programs and
learner centered curriculum to help Aravind deliver their extraordinary services
to the region. Here are some of the areas in which I helped Aravind:
- Conduct workshop for Aravind trainers on learner-centered curriculum
- Review the teaching methodology part in Aravind
curriculum specifically of their paramedicals
- Observe their trainers teaching and provide them
reviews on how they can improve themselves
- Develop model for online curriculum for DR project
- Develop model for training guides for paramedicals
Please visit Aravind
at their web site to further explore the work that they do. Here is an
outstanding white
paper on the history of Aravind and the structure and nature of their work
to eradicate eye disease in India.
I had hoped to be traveling to the Telangana to visit Kinnera's birthplace and
the orphanage in Hydrabad where she spent 11 months of her life. I was very
excited to visit Nizamabad, the district where Kinnera was born. However, my
place of employment denied my request for three weeks off so I will need to try
this another time.
There was so much work to prepare for the trip but I finally got ready and
left without any trouble. I
have been able to cover my trip to Chennai and back with United mileage awards. Aravind
provided my room and
board while at Aravind. I updated my passport, got my shots, got visas,
started to learn Tamil which was not successful, and collected the resources to insure that this
was a successful trip.
Left Portland Oregon on Friday April 2, 2004 and arrived in Chennai India at 11:45
PM on on Saturday April 3.
Traveled to Madurai on Sunday morning April 4 and arrived at 8:30 AM.
Stayed in Madurai through April 18.
Left Madurai and traveled to Chennai on Sunday April 18 at 8 PM and from
Chennai to
Portland Oregon arriving 2:30 PM on Monday April 19.
I have worked to help Plan Loving Adoptions define the areas of focus for
improvement of their organization. Plan
Loving Adoptions is the agency from which we were blessed to receive our
daughter Kinnera from the Telangana. I have been seeking a way to give back to
the agency and using my extensive knowledge of organizational development and
business development is the perfect way to
help. Our work together started in February of 2004 and I we will continue to
work together throughout the year. I am the past Vice Chair of the board for Plan Loving
Adoptions.
Aspire is a program of the Oregon
Student Assistance Commission. It is dedicated to helping high school students
access and fund continuing education. I have been acting as a volunteer helping
students with their quest for continuing education. Each of us is assigned
several students that we help in the process. I have helped 6 different students
at Sheridan high school and at my place of work access the resources needed for
continuing their education using the resources provided by Aspire.
I was an acting member of the 2004/2005 board for ASTD-Cascadia
in Oregon. I was working as the VP of SIG's and GIG's. Working with this
organization provided me an opportunity to give back to the organizational
development and training community as this is my chosen profession.
I am volunteering to consult with and collaborate with GSCS. One of
the ways that I have helped was developing a very simple web site hosted on my
site for GSCS. Not a large project but it created a web calling card for
the service. I will continue to be a resource for this valuable community
service.
My son has been an officer in the FFA leadership program for the last
three years and I have been an active supporter of the program, volunteer,
mentor, and active on the FFA Alumni chapter team helping to establish the
new Alumni chapter for Sheridan High School.
I am on the board for HRACO
the Central Oregon chapter of SHRM. This is a fantastic group and has been
a real blessing to find.
I joined the board of directors on the Redmond branch this year to
continue my support of children's programs. This organization does
outstanding work in Central Oregon supporting children who need a safe and
educational place to stay before and after school.
