Community Service

Community Service Requirements

All Laurel High School students are required to successfully complete 36 hours of community service during each school year. However, only 18 hours may be recorded for any one service project. This means each student will do two or more projects each year.

Community service activities are those performed to benefit at least one unrelated community member for which no payment is received.

Typically the service work will be under the auspices of a non-profit organization (see list below). Work to help a friend, family member, or neighbor will not qualify as community service without prior approval due to extenuating circumstances.

Service to benefit for-profit businesses may qualify on a very limited basis with prior approval and there must be extenuating circumstances as well as clear evidence the assistance provided is tied to the organization’s charitable activities. Approval may be requested via an interview with the Laurel Advisory Council.

Service to athletic teams, school-sponsored extra-curricular activities, or to a classroom teacher with daily clerical chores or for personal gain will not qualify for community service credit.

Community service involving cooperation with faith-based or political organizations may be approved; however, Laurel High School will not award credit for time spent directly involved in promoting religious/political doctrine, proselytizing, or worship. Students may request “Special Consideration Approval” of non-proselyte community service with faith-based or political groups subject to approval by the Laurel Advisory Council.

Community service for which a student receives academic credit as part of a separate course, or which is court-assigned, will not qualify for the Laurel High School graduation requirement.

There are many reasons why community service is a required part of the Laurel High School program. The key reason is to assist students in becoming confident, competent, passionate, involved, active citizens. Contributing to community service helps cultivates one’s skills, abilities, and vision to make our community a better place for all.

In order for community service hours to be registered and credit awarded, students must provide completed and signed hour logs and write a reflection essay of 1-2 pages in length; both to be kept in student portfolio.

Past Community Service

In the past, Laurel High School students have completed community service projects involving…

• American Red Cross blood drives

• Animal protection and animal welfare groups

• Art and cultural organizations

• Babysitting services during school events

• Child literacy programs including “Reading Buddies”

• Children and youth services groups

• Clothing drives

• Community beautification groups and garden clubs

• County park cleanups

• Food drive/distribution programs

• Ghoulees in the Coulees

• Habitat for Humanity

• Hawk Watch weekend

• Lions/Lioness Clubs

• Meals on Wheels programs

• Multi-cultural/diversity awareness events

• Nursing homes

• Peer tutoring

• Poverty Awareness Event (fundraiser for CouleeCap)

• Public library projects

• Roadside cleanup (Adopt-A-Highway)

• Rotary Club projects

• Teen Court

• Vernon Memorial Hospital volunteer

• Veterans organizations

• Viroqua Recreation Department volunteer

The above list is not all-inclusive. Students may create, with approval, a unique community service project of their own or one that involves another group not listed above. The criteria for approval of a unique project are the same as for any other.