FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

If you don’t find the answer to your question here, please contact the PTSA Citizenship Chair by email:

communitycitizenship@clhsptsa.org.

The Varsity Letter in Community Service Program requirements state that I have to complete at least

70 hours in the Greater Houston area. What type of volunteer work counts as a non-school activity?

Campus and school district community-aligned work examples include:

 Helping with your school’s event

 Mentoring a child through an official mentoring program

 Serving food at a homeless shelter (that serves local families)

 CCISD Cares

Here’s a list of some agencies that would qualify for non-campus volunteer hours - All volunteer work

must be completed with a nonprofit organization with a 501(c)3.

 Food Bank of Houston/Galveston

 Armand Bayou Nature Center

 Animal Shelters

 Habitat for Humanity

 YMCA

 YWCA

 Bay Area Alliance for Youth and Families

 Red Cross

 Special Olympics

 Disabilities Support Group

If you have questions, in general, please contact us.

Varsity Letter in Community Service Program requirements state that I have to complete at least 5

hours of service for a local PTA. What type of volunteer work counts as a school activity and how

many hours do I need? 

You can volunteer for the CLHS PTSA, Clear Creek Council PTA, or any other CCISD PTA. 

I volunteered on a mission trip through my church. How do I count these hours?

If you volunteer on a mission trip or other volunteer vacation, the hours are calculated as follows:

 During the school year: up to 10 hours per day

 During the summer: up to 15 hours per day

I volunteered as a camp counselor. How do I count those hours?

If you volunteer as a camp counselor, the hours are calculated as follows:

 During the school year: up to 10 hours per day

 During the summer: up to 15 hours per day 

Can I count hours from club meetings?

If you participate in a school service club, you may count any hours that are spent organizing and

implementing a service project. If you are in a club that uses meeting times to discuss other club business,

you may not count those meeting hours. Only hours spent planning and participating in a service project will

count as community service hours.

I volunteer as a sports manager with my school’s team. Do these hours count?

Typically, you can earn a sports management letter if you volunteer with a varsity-level team, so these hours

do not count if the hours will be used toward another varsity letter. If your time is spent with younger

students (i.e. you are in high school and you help with a junior high or with an elementary school team) or

with a community sports group, your hours will most likely count. Please contact us if you are unsure.

Can I count my time babysitting or helping with yard work or house work?

Any babysitting, yard work, or house work performed with a nonprofit CAN be counted for this award. In

cases where you are assisting an individual on your own, we require the individual have a documented need

and they cannot be related to you. To qualify, the recipient must meet at least one of the following criteria:

 Receive Medicaid benefits (low-income senior citizen)

 Receive SSDI (individual with a disability)

I have to complete community service hours so that I can graduate. Can I count these hours towards

my varsity letter?

Any community service or volunteer hours done to meet a graduation requirement DO NOT count towards

your Varsity Letter in Community Service. Volunteer hours that are counted for the varsity letter are to be

done above and beyond what is required for graduation. If, for example, you are required to complete 20

hours of service as part of your project but you wind up volunteering for 30 hours instead, then we will be

able to count the 10 additional hours you worked toward earning your varsity letter.

I have to complete community service hours for a class. Can I count these hours?

Any community service or volunteer hours done as a requirement for a class DO NOT count towards your

varsity letter in community service. Volunteer hours that are counted for the varsity letter are to be done

above and beyond class requirements.

I have to complete community service hours for National Honor Society. Can I count these hours?

If the organization allows hours to be used toward other awards, then the hours may be submitted. Check

with the sponsor of the organization to be sure they allow hours for their organization to be used toward

other awards such as the CLHS Varsity Letter in Community Service award.

I job-shadowed. Can I count these hours?

No. Hours spent performing a job shadow do not count for this award, even if it is with a nonprofit or school

organization.

I volunteered with a local company but wasn’t paid for my work. Can I count these hours?

No. Hours must be volunteered with a nonprofit agency or school.

I volunteered with my family. Can one of my parents be the contact for the verification of my

volunteer hours?

Unless your parent works for the organization you volunteered with, you may not have your parent sign off

on your hours. You will need to get the contact information for the organization representative who can

verify your volunteer work. In cases where your parent does work for the organization, it is still preferable to

have someone unrelated to you as your contact.

I volunteered several hours with an organization I am a member of (e.g. my church, Rainbow, Boy

Scouts, etc.) Do these hours count? 

Since you are a member, hours can only be counted when you are doing service for other people or for an

outside group like a nonprofit. If your organization was hosting a food drive or spaghetti feed that benefited

an outside agency, then hours spent setting up and collecting or serving the food would count. However,

hours spent benefiting the organization itself—such as singing choir at your own church, setting up an event

for your own Boy Scout troop, or ushering at your own organization’s event—would not count. If you aren’t

sure, please contact us ahead of time.

I volunteered as a foster “parent” for a nonprofit animal agency. Do these hours count? And if so, how

do I count them? 

Since the organization is a nonprofit and by fostering an animal you are in turn helping the community by

getting them ready for adoption, then yes, these hours count towards the non-aligned United Way hours.

Here is how you can count your hours: 

 2 hours a day for a healthy adult animal

 4 hours a day for a healthy litter of kitten or puppies

 4 hours a day for a sick or recovering adult animal

 6 hours a day for a sick litter of kittens or puppies

 6 hours a day for mom and baby

When would I receive my letterman jacket?

Upon completion of requirement hours and acceptance of completed and approved application, you will

receive a varsity letter packet. You are responsible for ordering and purchasing the letter jacket.

Pins will be awarded subsequent years where requirements are fulfilled.

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Students with disabilities must meet the general rules and guidelines

outlined for earning a Community Service Varsity letter. Students who receive services under IDEA or

Section 504 may request accommodations in order to participate fully in the program. To discuss possible

accommodations, please contact us.