Volunteering In High Schools

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.

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.

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.

Community service is about helping people who are in need. we should pick if we want to help, not be forced to do it because we need it to graduate. That is not the point of helping people. Community service takes a lot of time. Students already have to much to do. Community service will take time away form more important things. Although some people have argued that community service should be required, closer examination will show that it should be the students choice and students all ready have enough things to do. High schools should not require community service to graduate.

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.

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.

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.

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.

There is a lot of time and dedication that goes into community service. Some students may say that it is a waste of time. Community service is very time-consuming. There are better things that can be done. Students will find other alternatives that will get them out of doing community service. The students will either join a club or play a sport. They would do anything to get them out of doing community service. Some students are not as social as others. They would rather be in their room alone than be out with others. Some students are not as social as others. Some students find joy in helping others. It warms their heart to help out where and when it is needed. Community service should not be required because it is taking away from their education, and adding more stress than they already

Imagine immigrating to a foreign country where uncertainty and unfamiliarity awaits. That was my family in October 2008 when we arrived in America as refugees, deprived of basic necessities such as food and clothing. We faced difficulties adjusting to the culture and meeting our needs. However, volunteers of all ages from different charities delivered and donated foods, clothing, and presents, and warmly welcomed us with comfort during a time of major adjustment in our lives. They guided my family in our transition as we apply for schools and jobs. Volunteering was also a rare and uncommon practice in my birth country, so the number of volunteers helping us in America made a good impression of the country to my family. As I grew up and attend high school in America, I realized the amazing and endless opportunities for young people to make a difference in other’s lives by feeding the homeless, responding to natural disasters, caring for the elderlies, cleaning the community, saving the lives of animals, and much more. Community service should be required to graduate high school because it provides essential skills, builds character, and promotes higher education for a successful life.

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.

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.

While requiring high school students to complete a service requirement seems like it would be beneficial to society, it could actually be doing more harm than good. Part of the philosophy behind mandatory service for students is that the exposure to the needy and the act of helping the community will foster an enjoyment for service that will motivate students to stay involved following their high school careers. For example, one high school in Manhattan states that, “Community service must be harnessed to foster a sense of community in a school, a neighborhood, and beyond” (The Dalton School). In theory, this sounds appealing. In additional to all the service students give during high school, if they kept it up later in life, America would have no shortage of people willing to make their communities better. Unfortunately, forcing students to do service work does not make them do more service in

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.