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Why Volunteer?
Why Volunteer?
Volunteering is not only a great way to give back to your community, make connections, find something you care about and even feel good about yourself, it also looks great on job, college, and scholarship applications. While GHS does not require hours for graduation, you do have to have them if you want to join the National Honor Society (NHS). Start keeping track of all volunteer hours after completing 8th grade to make job, college, scholarship and even the NHS application processes easier. See the image below for an example of how to keep track of hours.
Click HERE to view a list of potential volunteer activities. This list will be occasionally updated as more opportunities become available. Email abbss@e-hps.net if you have suggestions for activities.
Volunteer Hours Sample
Volunteer Hours Sample
Students must have 30 volunteer hours to apply to NHS.
Even if you aren't applying to NHS, it is still a good idea to keep track of your volunteer hours.
The quality of your volunteer hours will be critiqued. If you are being paid for an act, it is not a volunteer activity. If you are a member of another group, such as StuCo or a sports team, be mindful of what you are using as NHS volunteer hours.
The image to the left is a sample of how you should track your volunteer hours.
Include the following: a description of the volunteer activity, date, amount of hours, name and contact information for someone who can verify the hours.
It is best to track your hours digitally, either in Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, or Xello even has a feature. Always put your total hours earned at the bottom.
How (and why) to join NHS
How (and why) to join NHS
Why join NHS? Membership in the National Honor Society offers rewarding community service opportunities, networking with community members, exclusive scholarships, and a competitive edge in college and scholarship applications. NHS holds monthly meetings during lunch and requires 5 completed community service hours per year, which can be obtained through multiple service projects. Service projects are determined based on community need and student interest. Students work together in groups to identify needs and brainstorm ways to address them.
How to apply? Eligible students will be notified by email and in writing in June of their 10th-grade year. The email will include instructions, including details about a brief 1-2 page written application.
Eligibility criteria includes: being Junior or Senior status, a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, and an average citizenship of 2.0 or lower. As part of the application process, NHS requires 30 hours of community service to be completed and documented for submission. All community service hours must be earned from the start of your Freshman year until the due date of the application, which will be sometime in September. NHS values quality over quantity in service hours. While it's good to track all activities, hours tied solely to required roles, like StuCo or team duties, may not stand out. Reviewers look for meaningful efforts where you went above and beyond to give back.
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