I know I’ve mentioned working at a place called BEAM a
couple times before, but never really intensively talked about it. As you may
know, I’m on a service-learning program that combines academic study with
volunteering in the community. We get placed by our program director according
to skill set, interest, and availability.
When we met at the beginning of the semester and I mentioned
that as a biology student I have a background in the natural sciences, my
program director put me in touch with an organization called BEAM, which stands
from Bridging Educational Access to Migrants. These migrants come mainly from
the ethnic states of Myanmar, who are in Chiang Mai to seek better
opportunities for work. Many of them seek out opportunities for education as well,
and so many migrant schools have sprung up in Thailand, everything from
elementary schools in the refugee camps to evening classes for migrants wanting
to learn English.
Many schools also teach vocational skills, like tailoring or
computer work, to help migrants be more employable or even open up their own
businesses. The problem is that most migrants are undocumented and are
constantly at a risk for deportation. This, as well as not having Thai language
skills, prevents them from going to a traditional government school. None of
the migrant schools are accredited, so there is little to no opportunity for
migrants to attend university even if they have high school equivalency.
Enter BEAM. Established in 2009, this non-profit
organization split off from the Migrant Learning Center in Chiang Mai to meet
the needs of the students for a high school equivalency, currently limited to
the western General Education Diploma. The GED program at BEAM is a two year
course that teaches students the English skills as well as the content needed
to pass the GED exam. Most people in the west with critical reading and
thinking skills could pass the GED if they wanted, as all information to answer
the questions is provided, it’s all about being able to interpret the text, graphic,
or chart.
I was asked to teach a GED-preparation chemistry course for
the second year students, some of which would be sitting the exam in late
November and some not until 2014. I was given a textbook and a few other
materials to teach out of, but other than that the curriculum was up to me. It
was a huge challenge to undertake, but I felt confident in my enthusiasm,
commitment, and understanding of the material. I would teach a lecture to
morning and evening students every Friday, and then offer an optional afternoon
class to give extra help in the form of worksheets, one-on-one questions,
activities, and videos.
My students were very sweet and very patient with me as I
stumbled over their unfamiliar Southeast Asian names. They were attentive
during class but sometimes struggled when I gave assignments to be turned in
later. There was no formal grading system; it was just up to me to quantify
their learning in the form of projects and quizzes. I had them each research a
different element when I was gone on my two week break, and they came up with
some pretty interesting stuff!
During the afternoon class some memorable activities were
watching Magic School Bus and Bill Nye the Science Guy. We also grew our own
sugar crystals and I showed them how the polymers in plastic bags keep water
from spilling out even when you poke a pencil through. We also broke out a
molecular modeling kit when talking about the structures of different
compounds. There was lots of equipment and glassware available for my use, but
I did not find out until later that there was a locked cabinet with chemicals
somewhere in the office. I would have brought in my own stuff but I had no idea
how to buy chemicals in Thailand! The classroom wasn’t really conducive to
experiments, though, and the Thai custom of removing one’s shoes before
entering a room or building posed a bit of a safety threat. I hope the students
found my class interesting and fun, though.
Chemistry only accounts for around 15% of the science
subject test, so I felt a little like a weight was taken off my shoulders. I
also found out that BEAM has a 100% pass rate for the students who sit, having
graduated three classes already, so I hoped my efforts contributed a little to
its sterling reputation. This was a very humbling experience overall, though,
as it really is all about the students’ motivation to succeed and aspire to do
more with their lives than the preceded generations of migrants.
Doing international service work can be a slippery slope, as
it’s all too easy to fall into the “foreign savior” trap and think that you can
swoop in like a superhero and save all the poor people from whatever social ill
ails them. This is a form of neo-colonialism and it does not show respect for
the existing culture. Instead, international service work should be about
integrating into the community and working for what it truly needs, rather than
what the volunteers think the community needs. Working at BEAM may not have
been as glamorous as building houses or caring for orphans, but it made a
difference where a difference was needed. I now believe that working “with”
people is far more effective and important that working “for” people. As
someone looking to pursue a career that seeks to serve others, this is a
critical insight and I am so grateful for the opportunity to develop in a
unique way.
Today I leave for Bangkok to fly back to the States
tomorrow. I will try to have at least one more blog post wrapping up my
thoughts about this incredible journey, but until then I want to thank each and
every one of you, dear readers, for your continued support. I really could not
have done it alone.