Qualifying Hours

This is a summary -- please see below for more details.

To qualify as Silver Cord hours, volunteer work must fulfill a need with a non-profit agency, school, church, or community organization. Hours must be turned in within 90 days of completion. Please note on each submission once you have submitted the hours to avoid submitting hours more than once. 

Volunteer service will not qualify if performed for an individual (relative, neighbor), for a for-profit business or event, or during a worship service. Work will not qualify as Silver Cord hours if a varsity letter, school credit, grade, or financial compensation is given. 

To earn a Silver Cord, a student must complete 160 hours ( after the graduating class of 2024 everyone will be back to 160 hours) of volunteer work from at least 5 different non-profit organizations, logged and verified by May 1 of the students senior year of high school.  

**Due to the volunteer limitations during the Covid 19 pandemic, the Class of 2024 will need to complete 120 hours to earn their Silver Cord.**

There are three ways to submit your volunteer hours:

Urbandale Silver Cord -- Acceptable Types of Service

 

What type of service qualifies for Silver Cord hours?So many types of service qualify toward Silver Cord hours! You can rake leaves for senior citizens through UCAN, shelve books at the Public Library, help an elementary school teacher set up a classroom, be a counselor at a Girl Scout camp, serve a meal to the homeless, referee a youth league game, collect donations for the Urbandale Clothing Closet – the opportunities are endless! If you have any doubt about whether hours will qualify, contact us for pre-approval at silvercord@urbandaleschools.com.  Work will not qualify for Silver Cord hours if a varsity letter, school credit, grade, or financial compensation is given for the work. Court ordered service will not apply to Silver Cord hours. Examples:·       Hours required for your US Government class do not apply, but if you volunteer for a political campaign, any hours above and beyond the class requirements may apply. (Check for pre-approval.) ·       If you are in band and volunteer to play in the pit for the musical, you receive points towards your band letter for that, so the hours do not apply toward Silver Cord hours.  What about fundraisers?If an organization that you benefit from receives financial compensation for your work, the hours do not qualify for Silver Cord Hours.  Examples:  ·       If you are involved in any school activity or sport, hours spent selling Booster Club Memberships during the membership drive do not count for Silver Cord hours, because the organization is making a profit on that activity, and as a student in activities, you receive a benefit in the form of improved facilities, new uniforms, etc.·       Hours spent volunteering at an elementary school Fun Night qualify for Silver Cord, because while the elementary PTO may receive financial compensation, it is a non-profit organization and you do not belong to it. What if I’m already doing service hours for an organization I belong to?Volunteer hours done for an organization the student belongs to will qualify for Silver Cord as long as they are above and beyond what is expected.  Examples:·       As a member of the UHS baseball team, time spent maintaining the field does not qualify for Silver Cord hours. That is an expected requirement of being on the team.·       If, however, members of the baseball team work together to spruce up a Little League field, those hours will qualify.  Do any hours spent at church count?It depends. Hours spent in service during a religious ceremony do not apply to Silver Cord hours (candle lighting, church choir, ushering, etc.). If you perform volunteer work at church outside of a religious ceremony (for example, spreading mulch on the playground, teaching Sunday School), those hours can be applied to your Silver Cord requirements. If you do volunteer work affiliated with the church (for example, your youth group works a shift for Meals from the Heartland), those hours are accepted for Silver Cord hours. When in doubt, contact the Silver Cord committee for pre-approval at silvercord@urbandaleschools.com!  I dogsit/babysit/shovel/mow for my neighbor/grandma, and she doesn’t pay me. Does that count?Those are good deeds, and we encourage that, but volunteer service for a single family or a member of your own family won’t count toward Silver Cord hours. The exception would be if your neighbor or grandmother is registered with the Urbandale Caring Corps and you provide services to her through UCAN. What about mission trips (or any volunteer service that requires significant travel)?During a trip away from home, only those hours spent in actual volunteer service can be applied towards Silver Cord hours. Time spent traveling, endorsing a specific religion, performing religious functions, or sightseeing do not apply to Silver Cord hours.