Reminder: All SSL forms should be submitted to the school’s SSL coordinator when student return to school in the fall by the recommended due date of September 26, 2025, but no later than the required deadline of May 29, 2026.

Students who wish to submit SSL forms from previous school years must write an appeal to the school’s principal outlining the circumstances for why the SSL form(s) were not turned in by the systemwide deadline. The school’s principal will consider the information presented and make a final decision about the appeal.

Any middle school student who has submitted documentation to show the completion of the 75-hour SSL graduation requirement (for the first time in middle school) by March 27, 2026, will receive the Superintendent’s SSL Award.

The required deadline for all documentation that qualifies seniors for the Certificate of Meritorious Service and middle school students for the Superintendent’s SSL Award is March 27, 2026.

All SSL forms (MCPS Form 560-51: Student Service Learning Activity Verification form -  https://bit.ly/SSLReflection ) should be submitted to the school’s SSL coordinator by the last Friday in May, to be considered for these awards. 

• There are SO MANY SSL opportunities available to students during the month of March! Please see the information below if you are still in need of SSL hours:

  • The 2025-2026 MCPS Student Expectations Lessons are available on Canvas for students to access. Students must fully complete both modules to earn 3 SSL hours.

  • Choose Respect Montgomery - RespectFest - March 8-15, 2026

    • March 8-15, 2026 (virtual/online) - Middle school and high school students will have the opportunity to earn up to 5 SSL hours for actively participating in online activities and virtual workshops centered on dating violence and prevention! 

    • March 15, 2026, 1-4 PM - Wheaton Community Recreation Center (in-person) - Middle school and high school students will have the opportunity to earn up to 3 SSL hours for attending this in-person festival focused on spreading awareness about dating violence and prevention! Registration will occur on-site.

    • Interested students may view additional details at the following link.

  • The Keeping It Safe Video Contest (Deadline: March 31, 2026) is now open! Students may earn 5 SSL hours for quality video submissions about the risks and dangers of under 21 alcohol use. Interested students may view the contest rules and additional information at this website.

  • Delegate Pam Queen’s Living Organ Donor Video Contest (Deadline: March 31, 2026) is now open! Students may earn 10 SSL hours for quality video submissions promoting the importance of living organ donations. Interested students may view the contest rules and additional information at this website.

  • Leadership Academy for Social Justice Fair (April 11, 2026, 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.) - Join us for the LASJ Social Justice Fair! Interact with social justice speakers and organizations on a variety of topics, including criminal justice reform, women’s rights, environmental justice, racial justice, and so much more! Additional information can be found at the following link.

• • Additional March 2026 SSL Opportunities

On Arril 26th 2026 the WOMEN’S BOARD SERVING MEDSTAR MONTGOMERY MEDICAL CENTER will be having our annual fall book sale from the Thrift Shop.  The sale is from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. and located @ 17909 Prince Philip Drive, Olney, Md. We are looking for students to help with moving books and consolidating them as the sale goes on.

There will be two sessions that we need help with.  One is to set up and keep the tables neat and that is from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon.  The second session is to consolidate the books and later take down and put away all the books and tables. That runs from 12:00 noon – 4:00 pm.  If you are looking to help, please contact Judy Swanson @ judysswanson5@gmail.com.

Thanks so much for any help you can give us.

The MCPS Family Forum on Mental Health and Substance Use Prevention will be held from 1–4 p.m. on Saturday, April 18 at Montgomery Blair High School, 51 University Blvd. East in Silver Spring. This event is free and open to students, families, staff and community members. Students can earn 3 Student Service Learning hours for participating. Workshops will be held in English and Spanish. Learn more 

Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Library in downtown Silver Spring is hosting FreeState Justice for another free, confidential legal name change and legal services clinic with guidance, resources, and support for Marylanders of all ages on Saturday, April 25, from 2 to 4 PM.

If you or someone you know are considering legally changing your name or gender marker, even if you aren’t ready to do so in the near future,
this is a great resource to stop by, ask questions, and learn about the process! Enjoy snacks!

FreeState legal representatives may also be able to assist and/or advise on other issues, connect folks to resources and make other legal referrals.

Registration is encouraged but not required!

Minors as well as adults are welcome.

For SSL, help design future library programs & help with cleanup/takedown!

Celebrate 75 Years of MCPL on Wednesday, April 15 from 4 PM - 6 PM at McGee Library! Celebrate an incredible milestone and become a star with Montgomery County Public Libraries! We're celebrating 75 years with the theme "Every Voice, Every Story" - and yours is the most important one!

Sign up at this link so our team can feature your unique story on social media for MCPL's 75th anniversary celebration! Earn SSL quickly and conveniently - we'll reach out and meet with you for your story at a local MCPL library near you, on a day that works for you.

Drop in for pizza 🍕 & earn more SSL at our April 15 celebration at McGee Library by helping us make the library beautiful with collaborative art! Fill our giant map of Montgomery County with important landmarks from your own life and groundbreaking milestones we’ll give you from MCPL’s 75 years! And make our Wish Tree 🌳 bloom with your wishes for MCPL's next 75 years!

Wednesday, March 25 from 4 PM - 6 PM at McGee Library! Join us for a fun and relaxing time at this SSL opportunity & celebration of Maryland Day and Women's History Month in the large 3rd Floor Meeting Room. Make your own magical glow-in-the-dark lantern ✨ with mason jars and acrylic paint for yourself or the women & girls who light up your life! We’ll have the supplies, be dressed appropriately to get messy with acrylic paint.

No registration needed to attend, drop-ins welcome! For SSL, help with cleanup after the program and contribute to our new Wish Wall of Maryland women in history who've made a difference - get inspired and add your good wishes for the women & girls in your life!

Saturday, March 21 from 2 PM - 3 PM at McGee Library! All are invited to a conversation circle with Noah Agboyibor and Derrick C. Tabor of the Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project to learn how you can make your voice heard in your community and schools, through MoCoLMP’s mission to promote truth, remembrance, reconciliation, and reckoning in Montgomery County. Learn how young people in the County have taken action with MoCoLMP to bring public recognition of our history! Only by facing our past can we move toward a more equitable and just future. The Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project (MoCoLMP) is a grassroots organization established in 2017 and a designated Community Remembrance Project of the Equal Justice Initiative.

No registration needed to attend, drop-ins welcome! Enjoy snacks!

For SSL, help design library programs & help with cleanup/takedown.

The Montgomery County Out of the Darkness Community Walk is organized by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Our event aims to raise awareness, support those impacted by suicide, and promote mental health in our community.

Students can assist with:

• Researching community tabling opportunities and outreach events

• Helping identify potential sponsorship opportunities with local businesses

• Supporting fundraising and awareness efforts

• Assisting on the day of the event with registration, T-shirt distribution, and participant support

This is a great way for students to earn SSL hours and support mental health awareness and suicide prevention in Montgomery County.

For more information, please contact:

Alnicia Gibson

Walk Chair, Montgomery County Out of the Darkness Community Walk

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

240-425-5033

Event Website: afsp.org/montgomeryco 

The Sandy Spring Museum’s annual Strawberry Festival is looking for youth volunteers to help in a variety of ways throughout the festival on June 6, 2026. Choices include festival mascot (to walk around in a strawberry costume), set-up and clean up, kids’ games, admissions, petting zoo, strawberry sales, and plant sales. SSL hours are available; water and snacks are provided. 

The festival runs 10 AM - 5 PM; shifts are 3 hours long, beginning at 7 AM. 

Sign up for a shift (or two!) at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044EA4AC2AA1FEC07-61858874-2026 

Next Generation Leadership Day is a leadership event for 4th and 5th grade MCPS Students. We are looking for middle and high school students to create workshops for the day and to be presenters/mentors to these students on the day of the event. This is an amazing leadership opportunity in which you can also earn SSL hours. For more information and to apply, go to: bit.ly/NGLD2026application 

How do I apply?

• If you would like to apply to be a workshop creator, you should read the details here first. Then you can apply using this link. Deadline to apply: Friday, February 13, 2026

• If you would like to apply to be a workshop presenter, you should read the details here first. Then you can apply using this link. Deadline to apply: Monday, March 9, 2026

• If you are interested in creating a workshop and also presenting, you only have to apply once. The workshop creator application will also ask about your interest in being a presenter.

Location: Wheaton High School

The Keeping It Safe Video Contest (Deadline: March 31, 2026) is now open! Students may earn 5 SSL hours for quality video submissions about the risks and dangers of under 21 alcohol use. Interested students may view the contest rules and additional information at this website. 

Date: March 8-15, 2026

• • March 8-15, 2026 (virtual/online) - Middle school and high school students will have the opportunity to earn up to 5 SSL hours for actively participating in online activities and virtual workshops centered on dating violence and prevention! 

  • March 15, 2026, 1-4 PM - Wheaton Community Recreation Center (in-person) - Middle school and high school students will have the opportunity to earn up to 3 SSL hours for attending this in-person festival focused on spreading awareness about dating violence and prevention! Registration will occur on-site.

Interested students may view additional details at the following link.

(March 7, 2026, 8:00am - 2:00pm) - For MCPS Students 18+ - MCPS is looking for HS students 18+ to judge student projects at the National History Day County Competition on Saturday, March 7, 2026! Students will receive 6 SSL hours and lunch on the day of the event. To learn more, please visit this link - https://montgomerycountymd.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=1153211 

The Choose Respect Video Contest (Deadline: February 15, 2026) is now open! Students may earn 10 SSL hours for quality video submissions about healthy teen dating and the impact of teen dating violence. Interested students may view the contest rules and additional information at this website.

Date: January 31, 2026, 10AM-12:30PM - Learn about opioid prevention and the dangers of Fentanyl, get trained on using Narcan, and participate in an onsite advocacy project!

• • Students may earn up to 3 SSL hours for participating in this advocacy opportunity.

To learn more, please visit this link - https://montgomerycountymd.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=1194817 

To View Opportunities, Click Here

Click here to see the help guide.

Introduction to SSL Handout:
English | Español | 中文 | Français | tiếng Việt | 한국어 | አማርኛ | Portuguêse

SSL Hours Earned
How to check your SSL hours on Student/Parent Vue

SSL Forms, Guidelines and Resources
MCPS SSL Hub for Students/Families.

SSL Opportunities
https://bit.ly/SSLOpportunities
https://bit.ly/VirtualSSL2020  

SSL Coordinators
High School SSL Coordinators
Middle School SSL Coordinators

SSL Program Overview Slideshow
https://bit.ly/SSLOverview2020  

Download SSL poster in:

English | Español | 中文 | Français | tiếng Việt | 한국어 | አማርኛ | Portuguêse