Building Resilience in Children of Poverty and Trauma
Open Access
Author:
Dillard, Clare Elise
Area of Honors:
Elementary and Kindergarten Education (Berks/Lehigh)
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Dr. Kira Baker Doyle, Thesis Supervisor Dr. Sandy Feinstein, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
resiliency poverty trauma positive reinforcement engagement Rwanda Africa
Abstract:
My study is participatory action research because I performed research while engaging in community service in a teaching internship in Rwanda, Africa (McIntyre, 2008). My thesis goal was not only to strive to build resilience and a sense of hope for a promising future in my Rwandan students, but also to learn valuable lessons that would be transferable to my future students in America. Through my research, I examined how increased literacy and positive reinforcement can affect children’s resiliency and engagement in school. This activity involved a week-long literacy project during which my students and I created a collaborative children’s alphabet book. This research enabled me to develop a greater understanding of and connection with the children I taught and the satisfaction of being able to share with them the exciting possibilities that increased literacy can generate for their futures.
