Why do I need community service?
Community service hours are not required for graduation. However, community service hours are required for certain scholarships, including the Bright Futures scholarship. Bright Futures requires either 30, 75, or 100 (depending on the specific type) over the course of your high school career. Community service hours may also be required for participation in certain clubs or classes and help boost your resume and college application.
What is or what qualifies for community service?
Community Service should be done for a non-profit organization that anyone can benefit from or participate in. It should address one of the following social concerns (for more information, see the form below):
- Service to Youth
- Quality of Life
- Service to Senior Citizens
- Health/Safety
- Developmentally and/or Physically Disabled
- Environmental/Historical Preservation
- Arts/Culture
How do I document my service activities?
Documenting community service is a two step process:
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
- After you have determined where your community service will be completed, you will need to complete the form below and attach a typed, short description of what you will be doing and where. At least two days in advance of beginning your service, turn your form and description in to your counselor for pre-approval. You will need to return to pick up your signed pre-approval forms the next school day.
- After you have completed your community service, type an essay about how your services benefited the community and how you personally grew/what you learned as a result. Turn in your two page form (pages 5-6 in the document below), your pre-approval essay, and your post-service essay all into your school counselor for documentation.
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
- The form must be completed with all signatures including parent and site supervisor for pre-approval and completion.
- All essays must be typed.
- The pre-approval must be submitted at least two days before beginning your service.
- Keep a copy of your submitted forms. If anything were to happen to them, you will have a copy to document your service.
Forms
Community Service Form | |
File Size: | 2128 kb |
File Type: |
Resources/Suggestions for Community Service Activities:
A great place to start is Volunteer Match, a website that connects volunteers like yourself with organizations and activities that interest you.
Begin by thinking about a societal need that you are passionate about. Perhaps you have a love of animals, or an illness/condition/disease has affected someone you care about, or an organization has helped you when you needed it. Try googling organizations in the Orlando area that work with that issue. Now is the time to be brave: call them up and ask about volunteer opportunities! For some organizations, you may help them out for a special event one time only, or you may volunteer with them on a regular basis.
Try investigating and contacting some of the organizations below:
Begin by thinking about a societal need that you are passionate about. Perhaps you have a love of animals, or an illness/condition/disease has affected someone you care about, or an organization has helped you when you needed it. Try googling organizations in the Orlando area that work with that issue. Now is the time to be brave: call them up and ask about volunteer opportunities! For some organizations, you may help them out for a special event one time only, or you may volunteer with them on a regular basis.
Try investigating and contacting some of the organizations below:
- Central Florida Youth Volunteer Opportunities
- Red Cross Volunteer Opportunities
- Arnold Palmer Volunteer Opportunities
- Habitat for Humanity
- Ronald McDonald House Volunteer Opportunities
- Pet Alliance of Central Florida Volunteer Opportunities
- Give Kids the World Village Volunteer Opportunities
- Nemours Hospital Volunteer Opportunities
- Coalition for the Homeless Volunteer Opportunities