Community Service Hours for High Schoolers
Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others.” This quote underscores that volunteers are critical to human well-being and that service to others meets an important human need. This is why Humble Christian School takes community service or volunteering as an important character trait with which we want our students to live.
Our desire is to instill in our students a predisposition to serve and volunteer by recognizing and acknowledging their service to others. It is believed that the desire and willingness to serve must come from the mind and heart of the learner. Thus, we are not assigning community service hours to our learners. Rather, we want them to recognize opportunities to serve and then take the initiative to serve.
Why Bother?
Recognizing and acknowledging learners’ community service provides HCS and our accreditors data demonstrating that we are accomplishing our mission and purpose. It also offers data that we can use to demonstrate that we are contributing to the spiritual formation of our learners.
High Schoolers benefit because their community service hours are part of their transcripts. When high schoolers apply to selective universities, their community service makes them more attractive applicants. We can affirm our learners by recognizing those who serve at exceptional levels at each class level.
When Does this Start?
Beginning in January 2024, HCS will encourage high schoolers to submit their community service hours to the school counselor. Community Service Hour Report forms are available at this link. Hours must be submitted one week before the end of the semester (May 10, 2024).
Is it mandatory for students to submit community service reports?
The answer is no. HCS desires that our learners understand the value of community and serving others, so this is a voluntary program. Learners are encouraged to submit their hours because of the benefits they have for those they serve and the value these hours have for those institutions that seek to honor and encourage youth community service.
Where can I get community service hours?
- Church
- School
- Neighborhood
- Grandparents & their friends
- Ask the counselor for ideas and places of service