Volunteering In High Schools

When applying for a position at a job, managers always check to see how much experience you have in order to check if you are qualified. When filling out a college application there are always questions that ask to write down any extra curricular activities you participated in or any clubs/service work you did and for how long. It is important to be a part of the community and to be dedicated to one or two locations for a certain amount of time to show commitment and effort. A student that has been a part of an organization for about three months and has not missed will be prefered at a college than a student that goes five times a month. Community service does not only help build relationships but allows students to spend their time learning new skills and it will benefit them in the future. Community service for high school seniors should be mandatory because it will teach the students how to be responsible, allow them to explore in depth something related to their career and improve their communication skills.

In Dave Egger’s article “Serve or Fail’ he explains how college students should be required to volunteer for public service. Dave Egger’s describes how many college students spend most of their time doing things that aren't necessary such as “ maybe they're in their rooms, painting their toenails black with a Q-tip and shoe polish.”(180) I do not agree with Dave Egger’s that students should do community service hours because they are several reasons why they won't be able to. Many college students have families to take care of, jobs they have to work in order to pay off bills or attend school classes and etc.

Is graduating a goal for you? To be the first one to graduate in your family? It’s like as if you’re almost there, just one more step but you need one more requirement to be eligible. In this article “Pro/Con: Should Student Service Learning Hours Be Mandatory?” By Claire Koeing, it states the opinion of why high school students should and shouldn’t do community service as a requirement to graduate high school. Many have their own opinion of why it is and isn’t important to have community service as a requirement. High school students mainly seniors already have so much stress and to do, but this does prepare them and give them a taste of how it will be after graduation.

High school administrations care about the well being of their students. They aim to guide the students in a way that will prepare them for the future ahead of each student. Thus administrations of high school have certain requirements that students must finish before graduating. There is one requirement that is commonly debated by high school administration and students, this topic being community service. Community service should not be required in order to graduate from high school since forcing students to volunteer leads to false information on their records, forcing students to do so does not mean that they will continue doing community service after they graduate, and it does not mean the student will mature.

“Community service brings learning beyond the classroom. Volunteering allows students to take what they've learned and apply it beyond the classroom. This offers the opportunity for enrichment and a great way for them to see how concepts they've learned work in the real world.” (Writers, 2012

It is proven that community service has numerous positive effects. Researchers have stated that community service raises self-esteem, creates bonds, teaches leadership skills and shows youth the power of action. Being part of something bigger than yourself brings great rewards.

Although community service is a great way to give back to the community, it has been tainted by its use as a requirement for high school graduates. Forcing volunteer work should be recognized for more than just a bare minimum, is unfair to those who have other obligations and provides no lasting benefit to the students. Many people and schools believe that making community service not optional for receiving a diploma could only benefit the students it’s required of but in a way it’s more harmful than helpful.

Many high school students do not have volunteering program. There are many ways to participate in our community. Schools should require students to participate in volunteer program in their programs in their communities as a requirement for graduation because, it will make students get ready to college, it gives life and work experience for future, and it also strength our community.

The last reason why they shouldn’t do community service is because some students will think there volunteer work will be helpless because they feel forced to do it. Some teens don’t like feeling this way they rather want to do it because they want to and not having to feel the need to do it. For example also in the same article it says, “These students should be proud that they can help selflessly out intrinsic motivation, instead of feeling forced to put their hours of hard work toward ssl requirement.” Teens need to feel helpful instead of obligated to help their

A continuous debate that is currently receiving much attention is whether community service should be a mandatory graduation requirement. Preparing students to effectively function in the real world is an important aspect of our education system. Today more than ever, there is an emphasis on having experience before beginning work. Most jobs are now focused on looking past your resume to see what you have given back to the community. Nevertheless, it is important that schools focus on preparing college students for the work force by mandating that they receive all of the necessary exposure and experience. Numerous schools across the country have mandated that in order for their students to graduate, they must complete a predetermined amount of community service. In Maryland, high school students are required to complete a minimum of 75 hours of service in order to graduate. However, this decision has resulted in a lot of mixed responses. Advocates of this decision stress that mandatory community service opens doors for students, while the opponents feel that it takes away valuable time from students who need to focus on their education. I believe that gaining experience outside of school is critical for future success in life. To ensure that students are prepared to transition smoothly from school to work, they need to be involved with the community while in school in order to build the leadership skills that are necessary to succeed.

The first time I volunteered to sort food at a food shelter for my middle school service requirement, I felt confused. I had heard adults who volunteered talking about how good they felt to be giving back to their community and helping those in need; so why did I feel like I was just doing busy work in order to graduate? At no point did I feel like my work was fostering a sense of community in me. When I finished my service requirement, I was relieved to be done and did not take up community service again until I entered high school and faced yet another service requirement. And it’s not just me: I do not know a single other student who found they truly enjoyed community service through their high school or middle school service requirement. I do know students who enjoy volunteering, yet all of them got started with service before they were required to do it. With this evidence, it does not seem like a mandatory service requirement is fostering a sense of community in

As an 18-year-old tennager, I was forced by my parents to participate a summer volunteer program in my freshman year. Even though I felt that I was a victim of “tyranny” in the beginning, I realized that I actually enjoyed the process of helping people in the middle of the program. Now, I participate that program every year as an active member, and I have gained the personal enrichment that I am unable to learn from other sources such as math club or SAT preparatory class. There is no doubt that community service can bring essential benefits in helping students develop their moral value and future interest, and it should be mandatory because some students attempt to utilize community service as a tool for their own profit without the school supervision.

Wouldn’t it be great if in high school we kept ourselves healthy and maybe even increased our lifetime by performing a simple and even fun task? “In a fortunate twist, some research has found that volunteering actually helps people live longer and stay healthy, and those who volunteer are generally more satisfied with life and are less likely to be depressed” (Finley). High school is not only a great time in our lives to begin making healthy choices, but to begin impacting our community in a positive way as well. Even though many students don’t have a lot of extra time, high school students should have to complete community service in order to graduate.

Discussing about volunteering to teenagers should be the first step for a better life, since teenagers are the future of tomorrow and they will leave a mark from yesterday. Volunteering has been such an important matter, that schools in many countries around the world established that 12th grade students will need certain hours of community service in order to graduate. But the frequent answers all the schools are getting are “Why do I need to volunteer? I have better things to do!” What people are forgetting is that each one of them is part of a community, a community that is not perfect and that the government sometimes forgets about their problems or needs, because obviously the government needs to take care of other things that require more attention. People are not only helping others, they are also helping themselves (Volunteering).

Is it a good idea that high school students involve in volunteering, but, High school students should not be required to spend three hours a week volunteering because they could use that time to work and become mature ,and also could be in extracurricular activities that could benefit.