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Community Service Guidelines

Community service is an integral part of education that improves self-esteem, develops responsibility, and fosters sensitivity to community needs. Meaningful projects address real community issues, provide opportunities for meaningful service, and reflect students' interests. The document provides guidance for teachers and students to plan impactful age-appropriate individual and group community service projects that benefit the community and support students' growth.

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Cardino Miryalyn
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108 views4 pages

Community Service Guidelines

Community service is an integral part of education that improves self-esteem, develops responsibility, and fosters sensitivity to community needs. Meaningful projects address real community issues, provide opportunities for meaningful service, and reflect students' interests. The document provides guidance for teachers and students to plan impactful age-appropriate individual and group community service projects that benefit the community and support students' growth.

Uploaded by

Cardino Miryalyn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction to Community Service

Community service is an integral part of the education of our nation’s


youth. Through service to others, students improve their self-esteem,
develop a sense of responsibility, and develop sensitivity to the needs of
others and the community as a whole. Community service projects are
well-planned, organized, and voluntary efforts designed to address a
specific need in the community. Well-conceived projects provide
students with the opportunity to plan and implement a project to which
they feel personally committed.

Identifying Meaningful Community Service Projects

To be meaningful, community service projects must address a


real need or problem found within community. Students must be given
the opportunity to select a community service project that reflects both
the needs of the community and their personal interests and skills. In
addition, quality community service projects require an on-going
commitment on the part of students. Hastily planned, short-term projects
do little to foster the purpose of community service.

The following criteria should be considered when a student selects a


community service project:

•The project addresses a real community need or problem.


•The project provides the student with the opportunity to provide
meaningful and vital community service.
•The project allows a student to gain a greater understanding of the
community need or problem on which they are working.
•The project reflects the student’s interests, talents, and abilities.
•The project provides the student with the opportunity to grow personally
and academically.
•The project helps students connect classroom experiences to their
service to the community.
The organizations and agencies listed below are just some that typically
welcome volunteers. This list should help students generate ideas for
community service projects:

•Chambers of Commerce •Hospitals


•Charities •Libraries
•City governments •Museums
•Civic organizations •Parks
•Convalescent homes •Recreation centers
•County agencies •Religious organizations
•Cultural centers •Service organizations
•Day care centers •United Way agencies
•Hospices •Zoos
•Hospitals •Habitat for Humanity
•Ronald McDonald House •Food Pantries
•Animal Shelters •www.justserve.org
•www.volunteermatch.com

Additionally, for individual projects you are strongly encouraged to


involve your parents/guardians in the process of selecting your
project. While this is your project, their support is also necessary.

As our students mature through the grade levels, they move from
memorization to understanding and finally to applying their learning. The
community service program must grow with them to provide age appropriate
opportunities to make a difference in the world around them.

Grade Level Community Service Expectations for Teachers

Students and teachers discuss charitable organizations, make a selection,


and present their cause to the class. Once a cause is selected, students and
teachers work together to choose a means to help.

Projects chosen will vary in degree of difficulty and time needed for
completion based on the grade level of the students.

Grade Level Age Appropriate “Ideas” for “Grade Level” Projects at School
Kindergarten Learn songs to sing to sing to seniors at a senior center.
Sending student art, letters and writing to seniors. Build empathy and
awareness of different generations. Learning the importance of caring
and giving to others.
First Students build an understanding that many children are less fortunate
than them and that they can help them. Students can begin to develop
empathy and visit with the elderly.
Second Students should have direct interaction with a specific group of people
or organization. Projects should be more evolved than in kinder and
1st.
Third Third graders should be very involved in selecting a group of people or
organization to work with. By this grade, and beyond, students should
not be collecting items merely for a donation.
Fourth By this grade students should be volunteering out in the community
rather than a home-based project. Working directly with a group of
people or organization.
Fifth Students should now have a solid understanding of community service.
This grade level should be working as a team to develop a larger scale
project.
Sixth Students should now have a solid understanding of community service.
This grade level should be working as a team to develop a larger scale
project, preferably out in the community.
Middle Continuing the learning begun in the lower grades—empathy for others,
School caring for the environment, an understanding of the citizens within the
community should be well in place.–the middle school should focus on
a larger scale project by working outside of school with organizations
such as “Habitat for Humanity” etc.
Individual Student Community Service

You don’t have to be powerful to make a huge impact on our


community. Community Service TEACHES and MODELS for our children
what it means to be part of a community. All SOAR students can contribute
their time and effort to better their community and are required to participate
in an individual community service project.

In the past, students have collected money or things to contribute to


organizations to which they had little connection or follow-up, items/money
are just being dropped off and the experience of serving is lost. These types
of projects should be limited to lower grade and it is important that the student
visits the charity that the money/items are being donated and spends some
time learning about that charity. The child’s focus leans more towards the
collecting and the purpose is sometimes lost. We believe there is more
power in DOING. When we give more of ourselves in the form of time, effort
and talent, we create an opportunity to connect and interact with those we are
helping.

A student may use the experience of community service as:

• A topic for college entrance exam essays in the future


• A means of choosing a career path for the future
• A means of gaining work experience
• Community service is recorded on high school portfolios

Students may also learn:

• To apply knowledge from school to the real world


• Enhanced personal development such as self-esteem, social skills,
communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and concern for others
• An appreciation of diversity
• To make positive choices in use of leisure time

Parents may see:

• Increased maturity in their child


• Increased respect from their child
• Their child’s better understanding of the community and its environment

Individual teachers and/or grade levels have specific guidelines for the
presentation of their projects. This information will be given to your student
early in the year so that there is plenty of time to plan, implement, and
present.

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