The Mayoral Recognition Program is a collaboration between the Urbana School District, We Love Urbana, the City of Urbana, and the UHS PTSA. The program encourages UHS students to volunteer in their school and communities. Students apply for the program, log hours throughout the year, and are recognized for their service by the mayor.
Students volunteer in a wide variety of areas including tutoring at UMS, performing in the community, managing school sport teams, organizing food drives, assisting non-profit organizations such as the Humane Society and Salt & Light, building houses with Habitat for Humanity, cleaning up natural spaces with the Urbana Park District, and so much more!
Students are recognized at four different levels: Gold (100+ hours), Silver (75+ hours), Bronze (50+ hours), and Awardee (30+ hours). These student volunteers enrich their communities and earn an impressive addition to job and college applications.
In 2025, 81 Students were honored for over 6,000 volunteer hours in our community!
Since the program’s beginning in 2022, a total of 320 students have served 23,934 hours to the community. That equates to 997.25 days or 2.73 solid years of service from Urbana High School students in just four years.
Express your interest by March 14, 2025, by completing this enrollment form. Be sure to attach your timesheet with the form.
Complete this short interview form by March 21, 2025.
Enter all your service hours between 4/6/24 - 3/28/25 and any additional information by March 28, 2025.
Coming Soon: information for the 2025-26 program
Guidelines for Urbana High School Student Community Service Hours:
1. Purpose: Community service hours provide an opportunity for high school students to actively engage with their communities, develop skills, and contribute to the betterment of society. It is important to understand that only certain types of activities are considered eligible for community service hours. Club work that does not directly benefit the community or involve service to others may not count towards community service hours.
2. Eligible Activities: Community service hours should involve activities that directly contribute to the welfare and improvement of the community. Examples of eligible activities include volunteering at local non-profit organizations, assisting at food banks or homeless shelters, participating in environmental clean-up projects, tutoring or mentoring younger students, organizing fundraising events for charitable causes, and participating in community service projects organized by the school or local government.
3. Documentation: To ensure proper recognition and verification of community service hours, it is important to maintain accurate documentation. Students should keep a record of the organization or project they volunteered for, the dates and hours spent, and a brief description of the tasks performed. It is advisable to obtain a supervisor's signature or letter confirming the completion of the service hours.
4. Verification: Community service hours should be verified by a responsible adult supervisor or representative of the organization. This could be a teacher, club advisor, non-profit coordinator, or any other designated individual who can confirm the student's participation and the nature of the service performed. It is important to provide contact information for verification purposes if required.
5. Time Commitment: High school students are often required to complete a specific number of community service hours to fulfill graduation or program requirements. It is essential to check with the school's guidelines or specific program requirements to determine the minimum number of hours needed. Additionally, students should plan their community service activities in advance to ensure they have sufficient time to complete the required hours.
6. Reflection and Learning: Community service should not only be about fulfilling a requirement but also an opportunity for personal growth and learning. Students are encouraged to reflect on their experiences, the impact of their service, and the skills or knowledge gained during their involvement. This reflection can be done by answering our short interview questions.
Remember, the purpose of community service hours is to actively contribute to the community and learn through the experience. It is important to choose activities that align with the guidelines mentioned above and to seek guidance from school authorities or program coordinators if there are any questions or concerns.