What If Your Kid Isn’t Into Volunteering or Community Service?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid satisfied all their HS volunteering during the Summer prior to freshman year.

None of it was listed in the activities section for college because it happened before Freshman year.

New poster, but just to clarify for upcoming applicants, summer before ninth grade counts as part of ninth grade for college admissions, so it's fine to include activities and volunteering from that summer on the Common App.

Maybe…but my kid had tons of other things to list, so was advised to list the more prominent and recent activities to fill up the 10 things.

If any space remained, then this probably would have been mentioned.

If your kid had that many strong activities, the lack of including volunteering probably didn’t matter.

The PP’s point stands. A student may list activities they participated in during the summer before their freshman year as high school activities in their college application. Whether those activities fit into the list is a separate question.

Yes, that’s accurate. I wasn’t contesting that, just responding to the content of the comment I responded to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why I’m a fan of required community service. Sure, for some kids it’s just a box they check with the most minimal effort they can muster. But for others, it’s the push they need to get involved in something they end up really caring about. My kids work with a neighborhood organization that provides food and health services to others in the local community. They both continued volunteering after satisfying their school requirement. Beyond the general positive experience of helping others, they’ve also built skills in food handling and customer service that they can include on their resumes as they pursue paid jobs.

I don’t know whether my kids would have gotten involved with this organization if not for the school service requirement. But I’m so glad they did and believe it’s had real benefits for them, as well as the organization they’re serving.

+100

It’s good for teen’s mental health too

So are many things…yet schools don’t require you to join a student club, participate in a music/arts EC, play a sport (I know some privates do), etc.

Those are also great for mental health.

Meet genius- my kid plays sports and has a job too. It’s the “giving back”/gratitude/service that is the spike for mental health. Looking outside of oneself and helping others less fortunate. Our society is a mess and selfish.

I guarantee you that more kids would feel happier and have better mental health if they engaged in any of the school activities.

My point is that schools for some reason force you to do community services, but they don't force you to engage with the school. That doesn't make much sense to me since it's practically easier to participate in school activities.

Schools can make community service easy too. Some schools have service days, do projects in school and after school during after care. Some schools make service a regular part of the school day or school week. Some districts have summer camps that are service oriented. Etc. etc. It's all out there and readily available.

Ok…but most of those are designed to just get kids their mandatory hours.

Our school will give service hours for helping decorate for homecoming and all kinds of things.

A friend at a private school says the school offers one week service trips for which students pay to attend which are basically designed to just get kids their service hours the easiest way possible.

These trips are very popular and you are essentially just buying your way out of real CS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am against requiring volunteer hours for graduation. If it’s required, it doesn’t meet the definition of being voluntary.

Service. Without Pay. Required or not it is legally volunteer work.

I want my kids to actually volunteer of their own free will, not when it’s mandatory to meet a school requirement. Compelling service hours doesn’t inspire the desire to volunteer. In fact, it probably makes kids less likely to volunteer after they graduate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am against requiring volunteer hours for graduation. If it’s required, it doesn’t meet the definition of being voluntary.

Service. Without Pay. Required or not it is legally volunteer work.

I want my kids to actually volunteer of their own free will, not when it’s mandatory to meet a school requirement. Compelling service hours doesn’t inspire the desire to volunteer. In fact, it probably makes kids less likely to volunteer after they graduate.

As others have said, most teens won’t take initiative on they’d own to do this. Requirements are good- kids still get to choose what it is they will do/volunteer. They get the benefit of feeling good and looking outside if themselves as kids are inherently (even more so with social media and society today) into themselves and their own perceived troubles. Going and seeing people with actual big issues like lack of food, lack of homes, etc.,, gives them perspective.

[Anonymous]

If your child is applying to schools this fall, then have them do some sort of volunteering this summer. They may not love it, but then again, they may have a great time and enjoy the experience! Lots of teens don't volunteer because it's outside their comfort zone and their friends aren't doing it (or at least talking about it). Go with your kid, make sure they're comfortable with the tasks. Walk dogs at the local shelter, pack up food at the local food pantry- it can be anything. If nothing else, this will give them content for supplemental essays - they'll undoubtedly run across an essay prompt that's something like "describe a time when you saw a need in your community, how did you address it?" and having some volunteer experiences will make that essay a lot easier to write!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in another state and our public school did not require service hours.

FCPS does not require service hours.

Required service hours are a private school thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in another state and our public school did not require service hours.

FCPS does not require service hours.

Required service hours are a private school thing.

DCPS requires service hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why I’m a fan of required community service. Sure, for some kids it’s just a box they check with the most minimal effort they can muster. But for others, it’s the push they need to get involved in something they end up really caring about. My kids work with a neighborhood organization that provides food and health services to others in the local community. They both continued volunteering after satisfying their school requirement. Beyond the general positive experience of helping others, they’ve also built skills in food handling and customer service that they can include on their resumes as they pursue paid jobs.

I don’t know whether my kids would have gotten involved with this organization if not for the school service requirement. But I’m so glad they did and believe it’s had real benefits for them, as well as the organization they’re serving.

+100

It’s good for teen’s mental health too

So are many things…yet schools don’t require you to join a student club, participate in a music/arts EC, play a sport (I know some privates do), etc.

Those are also great for mental health.

Meet genius- my kid plays sports and has a job too. It’s the “giving back”/gratitude/service that is the spike for mental health. Looking outside of oneself and helping others less fortunate. Our society is a mess and selfish.

I guarantee you that more kids would feel happier and have better mental health if they engaged in any of the school activities.

My point is that schools for some reason force you to do community services, but they don't force you to engage with the school. That doesn't make much sense to me since it's practically easier to participate in school activities.

Schools can make community service easy too. Some schools have service days, do projects in school and after school during after care. Some schools make service a regular part of the school day or school week. Some districts have summer camps that are service oriented. Etc. etc. It's all out there and readily available.

Ok…but most of those are designed to just get kids their mandatory hours.

Our school will give service hours for helping decorate for homecoming and all kinds of things.

A friend at a private school says the school offers one week service trips for which students pay to attend which are basically designed to just get kids their service hours the easiest way possible.

These trips are very popular and you are essentially just buying your way out of real CS.

So don't let your kid do those two specific services if you don't like that method. Choose on of the other million options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am against requiring volunteer hours for graduation. If it’s required, it doesn’t meet the definition of being voluntary.

Service. Without Pay. Required or not it is legally volunteer work.

I want my kids to actually volunteer of their own free will, not when it’s mandatory to meet a school requirement. Compelling service hours doesn’t inspire the desire to volunteer. In fact, it probably makes kids less likely to volunteer after they graduate.

That's a you problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in another state and our public school did not require service hours.

FCPS does not require service hours.

Required service hours are a private school thing.

DCPS requires service hours.

so does MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why I’m a fan of required community service. Sure, for some kids it’s just a box they check with the most minimal effort they can muster. But for others, it’s the push they need to get involved in something they end up really caring about. My kids work with a neighborhood organization that provides food and health services to others in the local community. They both continued volunteering after satisfying their school requirement. Beyond the general positive experience of helping others, they’ve also built skills in food handling and customer service that they can include on their resumes as they pursue paid jobs.

I don’t know whether my kids would have gotten involved with this organization if not for the school service requirement. But I’m so glad they did and believe it’s had real benefits for them, as well as the organization they’re serving.

+100

It’s good for teen’s mental health too

So are many things…yet schools don’t require you to join a student club, participate in a music/arts EC, play a sport (I know some privates do), etc.

Those are also great for mental health.

Meet genius- my kid plays sports and has a job too. It’s the “giving back”/gratitude/service that is the spike for mental health. Looking outside of oneself and helping others less fortunate. Our society is a mess and selfish.

I guarantee you that more kids would feel happier and have better mental health if they engaged in any of the school activities.

My point is that schools for some reason force you to do community services, but they don't force you to engage with the school. That doesn't make much sense to me since it's practically easier to participate in school activities.

Schools can make community service easy too. Some schools have service days, do projects in school and after school during after care. Some schools make service a regular part of the school day or school week. Some districts have summer camps that are service oriented. Etc. etc. It's all out there and readily available.

Ok…but most of those are designed to just get kids their mandatory hours.

Our school will give service hours for helping decorate for homecoming and all kinds of things.

A friend at a private school says the school offers one week service trips for which students pay to attend which are basically designed to just get kids their service hours the easiest way possible.

These trips are very popular and you are essentially just buying your way out of real CS.

So don't let your kid do those two specific services if you don't like that method. Choose on of the other million options.

You completely missed the point. Why force community service hours just to let kids buy their way out of them or claim CS hours for things that nobody considers CS.

Maybe...just don't make it mandatory at all so kids that really want to do it, can do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am against requiring volunteer hours for graduation. If it’s required, it doesn’t meet the definition of being voluntary.

Service. Without Pay. Required or not it is legally volunteer work.

I want my kids to actually volunteer of their own free will, not when it’s mandatory to meet a school requirement. Compelling service hours doesn’t inspire the desire to volunteer. In fact, it probably makes kids less likely to volunteer after they graduate.

As others have said, most teens won’t take initiative on they’d own to do this. Requirements are good- kids still get to choose what it is they will do/volunteer. They get the benefit of feeling good and looking outside if themselves as kids are inherently (even more so with social media and society today) into themselves and their own perceived troubles. Going and seeing people with actual big issues like lack of food, lack of homes, etc.,, gives them perspective.

+1 sure, the school required hours won't always inspire further volunteering, but it conveys that this is something important. It helps if parents support it and model volunteering themselves. My kids' HS didn't require service hours (MS did) but as parents we required that they participate in service with us. It's an important family value.

How many parents who don't model or think service should be required, do require their kids to do a sport or some other activity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in another state and our public school did not require service hours.

FCPS does not require service hours.

Required service hours are a private school thing.

MCPS requires 75 approved service hours to graduate. Only approved organizations are eligible to give MCPS students those hours, you are not allowed to work for your family. Thankfully, they make it relatively easy for the kids, and hand out a few hours here and there for service done in school. Kids who transfer late in high school from other places and who don't have enough hours to graduate are prioritized for those in-school hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why I’m a fan of required community service. Sure, for some kids it’s just a box they check with the most minimal effort they can muster. But for others, it’s the push they need to get involved in something they end up really caring about. My kids work with a neighborhood organization that provides food and health services to others in the local community. They both continued volunteering after satisfying their school requirement. Beyond the general positive experience of helping others, they’ve also built skills in food handling and customer service that they can include on their resumes as they pursue paid jobs.

I don’t know whether my kids would have gotten involved with this organization if not for the school service requirement. But I’m so glad they did and believe it’s had real benefits for them, as well as the organization they’re serving.

+100

It’s good for teen’s mental health too

So are many things…yet schools don’t require you to join a student club, participate in a music/arts EC, play a sport (I know some privates do), etc.

Those are also great for mental health.

Meet genius- my kid plays sports and has a job too. It’s the “giving back”/gratitude/service that is the spike for mental health. Looking outside of oneself and helping others less fortunate. Our society is a mess and selfish.

I guarantee you that more kids would feel happier and have better mental health if they engaged in any of the school activities.

My point is that schools for some reason force you to do community services, but they don't force you to engage with the school. That doesn't make much sense to me since it's practically easier to participate in school activities.

Schools can make community service easy too. Some schools have service days, do projects in school and after school during after care. Some schools make service a regular part of the school day or school week. Some districts have summer camps that are service oriented. Etc. etc. It's all out there and readily available.

Ok…but most of those are designed to just get kids their mandatory hours.

Our school will give service hours for helping decorate for homecoming and all kinds of things.

A friend at a private school says the school offers one week service trips for which students pay to attend which are basically designed to just get kids their service hours the easiest way possible.

These trips are very popular and you are essentially just buying your way out of real CS.

So don't let your kid do those two specific services if you don't like that method. Choose on of the other million options.

You completely missed the point. Why force community service hours just to let kids buy their way out of them or claim CS hours for things that nobody considers CS.

Maybe...just don't make it mandatory at all so kids that really want to do it, can do it.

Because as a community we see the value of encouraging, by requiring, all students to give a little of themselves in some small way at this age. You may not like all the projects some kids do, and we can be sad that some kids "cheat" themselves out of a real experience, but that doesn't mean there is no good in requiring it. SSL reaches thousands of kids in our community, public and private schools, churches and scouts and sports teams, and results in hundreds of thousand of hours of work in our communities. This is a very good thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am against requiring volunteer hours for graduation. If it’s required, it doesn’t meet the definition of being voluntary.

Service. Without Pay. Required or not it is legally volunteer work.

😂 please learn what “legally” means or else cite the statute or case that has this information.