All Silver Cord projects MUST show a real benefit to members of your community. This program has been designed to provide you, the high school student, with opportunities to give back to your communities. If you participate for 125 hours as a student at the Solon Community School District, you will be recognized for your efforts by the wearing of a silver cord during the graduation ceremony.
Volunteer projects should provide some direct or indirect benefit to members of your community. You will need to document your participation by providing a proposal which includes the names of the person/s or agency for which you volunteered so that they can confirm your efforts, and you will be asked to keep a reflective journal which lists the tasks you perform and what you learn by doing it.
Volunteer hours must be through, or in benefit of, a non-profit or other community based organization. Projects that are solely school related, such as TA positions, student team managers or stage crew will not be considered for credit.
Helping others is something that can give you a feeling of great satisfaction and accomplishment. Additionally, many scholarship, grant, college and employment applications require you to provide documentation concerning your volunteer experiences. The Silver Cord program is your opportunity to do this.
If you would like to participate join the Google Classroom or contact the coordinator at silvercord@solon.k12.ia.us. You may bring in an idea for your own project or the coordinator can help you, or your group, come up with a project.
There are some requirements that must be met in order to satisfy the Silver Cord criteria:
1. The Silver Cord coordinator must approve of your project before it starts. Thus, a proposal form needs to be submitted to your class coordinator a minimum of one week before the scheduled service learning project begins. If the proposal is not approved in advance, hours may not be awarded.
2. You must not be paid for the tasks you perform or receive any form of potential financial reimbursement (scholarships or grants).
3. Volunteer projects for relatives are not permitted.
4. Silver cord credit for an organization that offers its own recognition can not exceed ten (10) hours per organization.
5. No single project can receive more than forty (40) hours of credit.
6. Court-ordered community service work will not be considered for credit.
7. You will not be allowed to miss a class or classes to work on projects.
8. You may not use a project required as part of a class project for credit.
9. You must provide the name, email address, street address, and phone number of the person or agency you or your group volunteers for. Additionally, this contact person must be available to confirm and document your efforts in order for you to receive credit for your work.
10. You must fill out a journal (which will be provided) documenting your efforts and what you learned from this project.
11. You will be required to follow the Solon Student Rules of Conduct when participating in any project.
12. You will be required to adhere to the dress code of the institution in which you are volunteering. If you volunteer in an office, you must wear professional business attire.
13. If you will be absent or late to a service learning site, you must notify your supervisor in advance.
**The Silver Cord Coordinator reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal or hours with just cause.**
No, it does not. However, there are three requirements that must be met if the student is to receive Silver Cord Credit for a project undertaken outside the school year:
1. Your proposal must be approved prior to the end of the school year if possible by the Silver Cord Facilitator, and you must complete all required paperwork, including the journaling component.
2. The supervisor or contact person must be available after summer vacation to confirm your participation and to document the amount of time you volunteered.
3. Final paperwork (journal and time sheet) must be processed within the first 4 weeks of the start of the new school year.
In the event that a project comes up when school is not in session (Winter Break, Spring Break or Summer Break) you can email silvercord@solon.k12.ia.us with your proposal or submit it via your Graduating Class Google Classroom. Please keep in mind the coordinator may NOT be able to respond to your email immediately and your hours may not be approved. All effort to should be made to plan ahead and gain approval BEFORE the break begins.
No, they are separate programs and students in NHS are required to do a service project for that organization.
See the Silver Cord coordinator for criteria.
There is no requirement for completing a certain number of hours each year. Some students choose to complete their hours throughout all four years, some finish in two. Our recommendation would be that interested students attempt to complete at least 33 hours per year. However you go about it, Seniors must have all paperwork processed by May 1 of their graduation year.
For classes that have a Google Classroom, after all paperwork is submitted you will receive hours earned for that proposal. You can see your progress in Google classroom.