Independent Component 2

BLOG 21

Literal:

•  I Cherokee Michalak, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work. 
• The source that helped me the most with this component is my mentor, Jolean Miller who is a Animal Control Officer at Glendora PD. 
• https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvUf7yrwuYvwdHJrTTFnYjY0VTFXNi1qRGd6dVBZZFE#gid=0
• For my independent component I continued working with my mentorship at Glendora PD, in the Animal Control department. Most of the time I mainly worked in the front office, filing paperwork, working on documents, doing work on the computer for licenses such as updating tickets, registration, ect. I also added up work hours for the officers, and occasionally went in the back with the animals and went on a few minor calls. 

Interpretive:

This is Vanessa Alvarez' desk in the front office where most of the time I worked on looking up Glendora residents' licenses, printing out notices and mailing them out, which took many hours. 

Front desk where animal control costumers are assisted with paying for fees, licenses or picking up/dropping off animals. 

Area in the front desk where cadets take phone calls for the station, communicate with animal control and work with costumers. This is where I worked with cadets on computers, learning new information, ect. Seen here is cadet Verduscu and a police officer filling in one of the stations. 

*See previous posts with pictures of the animal control truck, the front of the Police Department and the kennels. 

Applied:

• This component helped me answer my EQ because the more I work with Animal Control as much as I can, I can figure out which answer to my EQ is the best and most beneficence to the animals and officers protecting the animals. Since puppy mills are not very prominent in the office I work in, focusing more on spay. neutering and adopting out was more of what I focused on since you can adopt out here and spay/neutering is highly encouraged by both officers.

BLOG 15: Independent Component 2 Plan Approval

1. For my second independent study component I plan on continuing my mentorship with the Glendora Police Station, in the animal control department. Since I am working directly in animal control, and that being my topic, it works out well. 
2. My plan will meet the 30 hours required because typical I go in to do my mentorship twice a week for 1 to 3 hours, it is right across the street so there is no excuse for not getting there. When I go in, I am able to do the paperwork required for officers, then go on calls for animals and hopefully, I can go with them to drop off the animals at the Humane Society to see the shelter side of the job. So, In 2 months i'll be able to get to 30 hours with my mentorship. 
3. My independent study component relates to my working EQ because the overpopulation in animal control is what in focusing on, and by working with animal control directly, you can see, hands on the overpopulation problem. Also, I can see how my answers to my working EQ are put into play because my mentor knows a lot about puppy mills and she works with multiple shelters/rescues. 

BLOG 14: Independent Component 1

Literal:

• I, Cherokee Michalak, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
• Jolean Miller: 626-914-8275
• Independent Compt 1 Log
• For my Independent Component 1, I continued working at the Glendora Police Station, in the Animal Control Department with my mentor, Jolean Miller and the other animal control officer, Vanessa Alvarez. 

Interpretive:

 These are two cats that were in animal control, I cleaned the cages, gave the orange kitten a bath and played with them to burn out some energy. 

 This kitten was found stuck on a telephone wire over 10 feet high, the fire department rescued her and she was eventually adopted out. 

• While volunteering with Animal Control, I did multiple jobs with my mentor, another officer and some cadets working in the station. I went on calls for stray dogs and picked up wild animals, filed, did paperwork, walked many dogs, cleaned some cat cages and conducted my interviews. 

Applied:

• By working hands on with the animal control officers, whether it was working with stray dogs, not knowing if they will lash out, to chasing a dog that got hit by a car for an hour, I got a full on experience for my hours. If I didn't get my hours here, I wouldn't know how to handle wild animals properly, or how to conduct all the paperwork that is required. After seeing how many dogs come in and are stuck without homes, or who end up going to a kill shelter, I got a good grasp of how large the overpopulation of animals really is in animal control. 

Senior Project Update

Blog 10:

(1) Currently, for my independent component I am doing exactly what I stated in blog 7. Working at the Police Station with animal control is where I am getting most of my hours. I am working there twice a week for up to 3 hours every week, mostly with my mentor, Jolean Miller. 

(2) See blog 9b. This piece of research is helping move forward in my topic because first off, it is a possible hypothesis for my science project. Then, it is also a possible answer to my essential question. By looking at this research it helping me move on with finding more research on spay/neutering and other answering to my EQ. 

(3) See blog post " Photo's of Glendora Animal Control Volunteering"

Independent Component 1 Plan Approval

BLOG 7:

1.Write a description of what you plan on doing for your independent study component.

For my independent study component I plan on doing one of two things. Either I will continue my volunteering at the Glendora Police Station in the Animal Control department to get more experience working first hand with an officer. Or, I was going to try and find a local animal shelter to volunteer at if I am of age. Most animal shelter volunteers need to be 18 or older and possibly be trained.

2. Describe in detail how you think your plan will meet the 30 hours work requirement.

I plan to meet my 30 hours of work required by adding more hours to my volunteering I am already doing with Glendora Animal Control or put in hours at a local shelter. I usually go into the office twice a week, every week for two to three hours. I go on calls, do paperwork or help with the animals in the back.

3. How does your independent study component relate to your working EQ?

My working EQ is “What is the best way to reduce the overpopulation of animals in animal control?” So, by getting in more hours with my mentor I can document how many animals they impound, how many they take to shelters and also look at the shelters statistics of animal overpopulation. With overpopulation, a big issue is non-neutered animals, so I can also look at records of people with non-neutered animals and the issues Animal Control has with that.