The existence of project week is one of the many things that make Pearson College such a unique place. There are very few, if any, other schools who afford their students the opportunity to explore the world around them with such freedom. We students are certainly glad for the opportunity. This past project week myself, Julia (Saskatchewan), Dominic (Ireland), Sarah ( PEI), Eppie (Hong Kong), Anita (Mexico), and Camille (USA) seized the opportunity with a trip to Seattle.

Our group completed two projects: collecting footage for a film concerning various facets of American culture, and participating in service projects with the local branch of the YMCA. Through the course of our week, we were able to see and experience the good, the bad, and the ugly of the city.

We at once captured beautiful footage of the scenery and cultural heritage of Seattle, the top of the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, and the grunge music capital of the world: Crocodile Café, and saw a city divided by racial discrepancies and marked by homelessness. We saw the antiseptic cleanliness of the world’s first Starbucks contrasted with the bustling social hub filled with elderly men playing poker of the Starbucks just down the street from our rented house.

From the technological supremacy of Microsoft, whose headquarters we visited, to the simplicity of a Wal-Mart store, to the obscene number of t-shirts constantly available for sale we felt we got a short, but revealing glimpse into America. However, whilst we observed we were also able to assist. Almost all members of our group were able, at some point, to volunteer with those in need in Seattle. By helping with children’s programs and outreach to homeless youth, we attempted to give back at least a fragment of the experiences we were offered on our trip.

All told, it was a highly beneficial project week hopefully not only to us, but to those we encountered as well.