The Importance Of Community Service

With the help of teachers and my efforts, I have been successful and was even a recipient of an academic achievement award for students with a 3.6 GPA or higher. It is not always easy learning the materials, studying and placing my thoughts onto paper, yet I will continue to advocate for myself in any circumstance necessary. Despite having learning challenges in the classroom, it does not limit my activities outside of the classroom. I love to volunteer! One of my favorite activities includes being a volunteer buddy for the Miracle League of the Fox Valley. The Miracle League is a baseball organization for children and adolescents with physical and/or cognitive challenges. My role of a buddy is to assist my fellow buddy in any needs she may need, protect her from possible injuries and make sure she is having fun! I love having the opportunity of being a buddy, it has formed a forever lasting companionship and provided smiles that touch us all! Addition to the Miracle League, I’m a member of National Honor Society in which I volunteer in several community organizations to help better the community. I was honored to be selected as a Link Crew member. It has been one of my greatest opportunities to advocate for my peers with disabilities. This is a first time that Appleton North Link Crew created a program for students with physical and cognitive challenges to be included in a freshman transition program in

Students sometimes find it hard to find opportunities to complete community service hours but they often never have to look further than they're neighborhood or the local businesses and clinics and a lot of students are blinded to that fact(khan 1).Community service is something positive but it shouldn't be forced upon you to do it because it becomes more of an assignment and will be done half-hearted, and that's due to the fact that it focus more on the hours than the service itself(khan 1).

A wise person once said, “If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your path.” This particular quote has helped me realize that not enough teenagers are helping their community become a more desirable place to live. Implementing community service into the senior project outline as a requirement would ultimately benefit the students and the community. Not only will the students become more aware of the activities that occur in their community, but they will also have a greater sense of self.

Everyone has their own set of strengths and weaknesses. Those with disabilities are no different they just have a different set then everyone else. I chose this project topic because in 5th and 6th grade I was part of a program called Peer Pals. Once a week during recess I volunteered in a special needs classroom. This work opened my eyes to the world of special needs and Peer Pals is one of the things I miss about elementary school. I realized that I needed to continue helping the special needs community. No solutions presented themselves and then one day the solution stared me in the face from it’s home in the Reston Community Center Program Guide. “Volunteer at the Adapted Aquatics Class,” I had found a solution to my problem.

In ninth grade, my mother suggested that I volunteer with peers at my high school who are special needs. She thought it would be good for me to meet other people my age who have their unique struggles in school, much like myself. I protested originally, but little did I know I would love volunteering with my peers, regardless of their disability. During this time, I signed up to volunteer with a local organization called Buddy Ball. At Buddy Ball, I had the opportunity to teach children with disabilities ages five through twenty-one baseball. When I volunteered with my peers, I mainly saw high schoolers with severe autism, intellectual disabilities, and emotional disturbances, whereas with Buddy Ball most of the participants had severe autism, intellectual disability, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, epilepsy, or a multiple of disabilities. Both of these experiences allowed me to gain knowledge of a variety of special

Joni had worked for over 25 years in the local school system as an Educational Tech II, otherwise known as a teacher’s aide. In this capacity, she got to know generations of teachers, students and their families. In addition, working with high needs students with challenging intellectual disabilities, she sought to identify opportunities for her students to gain practical knowledge in local organizations and life skills to ensure their dignity as adults. To create these connections she often interacted with numerous small businesses, non-profits, and community-based organizations.

Starting my freshman year I joined Project Unify and began volunteering at the Special Olympics, working with intellectually disabled students to promote love and friendship through sports while also connecting them to the community. As a part of Project Unify, I was able to assist in encouraging inclusion and acceptance of students with intellectual disabilities in my school and the local area. I became an advocate for students with intellectual disabilities, reaching out to my peers to illustrate that they are not different than us and that the only divide that exists between us and them is one we create. We had campaigns throughout the school such as “Spread the Word to End the Word” to stop the hurtful use of the r-word. I took part in

Experience by doing is a critical lesson to learn in high school. My passion for working with students that have special needs has given me training vastly beyond the realm of books and lectures. Since my junior year, I have been volunteering to bowl and play basketball with the Special Olympics team in a club called Unified Sports. I have obtained vital skills through helping and understanding how these amazing people conduct their lives. My interactions with the students have instilled motivation, trust and confidence in them and with me.

A significant experience in my life, which required me to interact with someone outside of my own social group, was working with disabled children. I first began working with disabled children in high school. This experience gave me a new perspective on how disabled children interface with the world; and how developing a meaningful relationship with them can be positive for both of us. The class was an Autism Spectrum Disorder Link program, which I participated in for two years. After my first year, it really touched me and made me feel as if I made a difference among my fellow students. Not only did I feel that I lifted the spirits of the kids I was working with, but it also created a certain happiness and fulfillment that made me want to

Tori Amos said, “Some of the most wonderful people are the ones who don't fit into boxes”.("Special Needs Quotes”). Kids with special needs don't fit into boxes because they are unique. My goal is to help kids with disabilities be ready to face life, and to help them realize they are valuable. To motivate them to succeed in life, and to show them that there are people that care for them. That I will be give my best to get them through everything and to not only see me as their teacher, but also as a friend. Due to my patience, love and dedication for kids I have decided to get my career in Special Education at Radford University.

In Maryland, 75 hours of community service are required for students to graduate. Getting in the way of many after school activities, students should not be required to have community service hours to get a diploma.

Throughout the past five years, I have had a lot of experience with individuals with special needs. For two summers, I volunteer at Camp Barnabas, which is a summer camp for individuals with special needs. I got to spend many weeks becoming

Community Service in The United States should not be mandatory! It takes away the main purpose of volunteer work. In the first essay, it is stated that "Service to others is an obligation that comes with citizenship." I do not agree with that at all.

The United States is one of the strongest countries in the world. We stand for equality, and we are a democracy. The country has became what it is today due to everybody pulling their weight in society. I strongly believe that each adult should perform one year of community service unless a medical reason prohibits them to do so.

The community service I would volunteer at to be eligible to graduate would be the animal shelter. I would help the animals in need find new homes, keep the animals entertained, feed and clean them, and take care of and clean the store. I would volunteer at the animal shelter every weekday after school and sometimes on the weekends. Since I love animals so much, I would find it convenient to volunteer at an animal shelter. I would also love to help those poor animals find a new home and family so they will feel loved and adored for the rest of their life.