The Traveling Playground was operational from Fall 1999 through Spring 2003, when it was combined with the Study Buddy Program.  The Traveling Playground provided low-income children in several Kent neighborhoods the opportunity to participate in activities brought weekly to them by education students at Kent State University.  The StudyBuddy Program, which operated from Fall 2000 through Spring 2005, was designed to help P-12 students in the Kent-Ravenna area to be successful academically, via one-on-one and small group interaction with an older student, usually a student from Kent State University working in pairs with another KSU student and another younger study buddy.  Activities were planned and conducted based on the children's individual needs and interests.  Besides helping with homework, the intent of the program was to build self-confidence and self-efficacy; develop meta-cognitive, language, reading, math, and other academic as well as social skills; provide a mentoring relationship; and promote healthful development, within a safe and stimulating environment.  Emphasis was on non-traditional approaches to learning; for example, students might engage in a game of “spelling bounce” to reinforce the correct spelling of vocabulary words, or basketball “PIG” using multiplication facts.  

The Study Buddy program has been beneficial not only for the P-12 study buddies, but also for the Kent State students, who gained skills, understanding, and wonderful insights along with the experience of working with lower-income children/youth in settings outside the classroom structure.  The KSU students, particularly education majors, had an opportunity to gain valuable experience working with children, particularly children who might be of a different background than themselves.

As they put educational theory into practice, the KSU students were provided with a unique look at the “whole child” within his or her world outside of school.  Following are some of the LoveLight volunteers’ comments:

“I enjoyed Study Buddies, because I was able to see progress made by some of the students that I worked with, and I also was able to develop a relationship with them which is always very good, to be not only a tutor but also a mentor like a big brothers and big sisters.”

“I liked just being able to interact with the kids.  They all have such wonderful personalities and I love just being able to hang out with them and talk about what’s going on in their lives.”

“I really loved tutoring with Study Buddies.  I think it is an excellent program because it keeps these children out of trouble after-school. The atmosphere is very relaxing, but at the same time very valuable for the children.”

“…I think participating in the program has given me more experience with young children, especially in the area of conflict management. Because my major is Early Childhood Education, any hands on experience I can get with children is wonderful for me."

“…getting to know your students, relating to their problems, and understanding your students needs and goals, are also very important qualities that ‘good’ teachers possess.  I am thankful that I was able to be a mentor/tutor this semester because I was able to develop relationships with both of the students I worked with…”

“A lot of teaching is mentoring. Prior to my experience as a Study Buddy, I thought that teaching was synonymous with instruction.  But the teacher-student relationship is so much more intricate and complex than I had expected. There are so many layers such as trust, openness, and coming together on some sort of common ground.  Each student possesses an individuality or uniqueness.  Different people require different approaches in order to build friendship and trust.

        Relating to your students is an essential part of the trust process. Students have to be willing to learn from you, and part of that willingness involves trust. They have to trust that what you are telling them is honest and beneficial.  If trust is not established, the student cannot accept you as an educator or as an adviser."

“The study buddy program has been an amazing experience. I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience and have learned a great deal about working with children….”

“Becoming involved with Lovelight Study Buddies was one of the best things that happened to me this year….Working with the kids has really filled a gap I was feeling when I first came to school….You can learn so much from a child….There is nothing more important than setting a good example for youth.  I also think that the organization having Study Buddies who come from a college environment is great.  It encourages the kids to continue their education and better themselves anyway possible.  The most exciting thing about working with the kids is the variety of attitudes and personalities I have been exposed to.  Additionally, it is always enlightening to hear something from a kids’ viewpoint once in a while. Sometimes kids are able to help you understand what the more important things in life are.”

“Relationships are the foundation for creating positive change. However, when we judge others, we tend to judge them by our standards, not theirs, and thus, they inevitably become a failure in our eyes.  This has tremendous implications for those who work with children in schools….As educators, recognizing genius in all its forms is critical….In sum, I have had the opportunity to work closely with a student from a very different background than my own this semester through the Study Buddies program.  With a clearer understanding of the kind of environment and values that this student has come from, I have been better equipped to place myself in a position to help the student rather than to judge him…teachers and others must become aware of the differences that exist between social classes, and must then work to cultivate meaningful communication between people from different economic cultures. Awareness is the first step toward change."
     
Both The Traveling Playground and Study Buddies have provided Kent State students with an opportunity to practice emergent curriculum development and collaboration with colleagues while gaining experience interacting with children; planning, implementing, and evaluating creative educational activities; and integrating theory with practice. Kent State students in education classes taught by LoveLight’s Executive Director were required to keep reflective logs and submit a final paper summarizing their experiences, explaining lessons learned, and tying their experiences to the theories, trends, and issues discussed in the course.  In 2003, the Study Buddies and Traveling Playground projects were the subject of a presentation on non-traditional field experiences at the UNESCO conference in Jyvaskyla, Finland.  From 2000 through 2008, more than 380 college students, mostly future teachers, were provided with an opportunity to interact with children in an informal educational setting via the Traveling Playground, Study Buddy and summer programs.