COMMUNITY SERVICE
"When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better." - Maya Angelou
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Community Service is a work that is performed without momentary or personal benefit for the person doing the work.
Community service is not a graduation requirement but it is highly recommended. Community Services is a great addition to a college application, resume, and scholarship application.
You can start earning Community Service hours beginning with your freshman year. Fall, spring, summer break is a great opportunity for you to complete Community Service hours.
Students who are working toward the WORK ETHIC SEAL/CORD will need 10 DOCUMENTED hours throughout their high school career. Students receiving the Work Ethic Seal should have an advantage when seeking employment as it easily identifies potential employees with a demonstrated work ethic. Listed on college applications it shows that student has learned the value of active participation in school, and identifies the student as one who will regularly attend class and work hard at their education. Students will receive a certificate and seal on their transcript. Student’s participation in the Work Ethic Seal Program is voluntary and the pursuit of the seal will be the responsibility of the student.
For more information contact your school counselor.
Join one of the several clubs available to you that provide service opportunities.
PLAN AHEAD!! Don't wait until your senior year to start working on completing the Community Service requirement.
Documenting My Hours
To count your Community Service hours, as well as helping you to be organized, you must go to GCHS Guidance website (https://sites.google.com/site/gchsguidance/home) and continue to the Community Service page. There you will find a form to print out in order to log your hours. This form may also be picked up in the GCHS SCHOOL COUNSELOR’S office.
Students may use their TASSEL to document community service hours as well as this document.
Community Service Documentation Log (This document serves as a place for high school students to collect community service hours.
Benefits of Community Service
Engaging in community service provides students with the opportunity to become active members of their community and has a lasting, positive impact on society at large. Community service enables students to acquire life skills and knowledge, as well as provide a service to those who need it most.
Participating in community services increases self-esteem. Acts of philanthropy can lead to a greater feeling of self-worth because helping others is fun and can help a teen reflect on what they have and enhance their sense of purpose.
Volunteering helps teens see that not everyone’s life is like theirs. Helping people who have different life circumstances can help teens become more empathetic to everyone in their lives.
Having volunteer experience can be a great addition to a teen’s college application or resume. Colleges often look for well-rounded applicants and employers are more likely to hire people who are volunteers.
Volunteering helps and can be a key factor to securing a college scholarship. Many organizations offer scholarship funding to students who demonstrate community involvement and leadership skills. The scholarship awards are meant to appreciate and encourage students to give back to their community helping to make it a better place. The more hours you commit to volunteering, the higher your chances are of getting the award. Make sure you keep track of your volunteering hours so that you can easily reference them when they are asked for on the scholarship application.
Where Do I Start?
Where Do I Start?
There are plenty of places for teens to find volunteer opportunities. To find a good fit, teens should first ask themselves a couple of important questions:
“Who would I like to work with?”
“How much time do I have to commit to serving?”
“What skills can I bring to a volunteer job?”
“What am I interested in?”
“What are my goals for volunteering?”
Teen Volunteer Ideas
Teen Volunteer Ideas
Habitat for Humanity
The American Red Cross
Humane Society
Animal Shelters
Soup Kitchens
Nursing Homes
National Parks
Food Bank
Local Library
Mission Trips
Reading Groups
Peer Tutoring
Freshman Mentoring
Volunteering at a Nursing Home
Washing Buses
Grounds Keeping
Volunteering at Food Pantries Youth Groups
Vacation Bible School
Senior Citizens Center
Toys for Tots
Serve a a Big Brother/Sister
Highway Clean-Up Days
Salvation Army Bell Ringer
Coaching Little League
Camp Counselor
Community Organizations Involved with a Food Drive
Participate in a Recycling Event
Google Sites
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