This morning, my son left at 7am to bag groceries for Christmas for low-income families and individuals at the local food pantry. My son has spent many a Saturday morning helping out at the food pantry that is run by the church. Now that he is in high school, these Saturdays that he spends working to stock, bag and deliver groceries will do more than just help others and help the community, they will also help him to graduate from high school.
In this school district, every high school student is required to complete 40 hours of Community Service between grades 9 and 12. That’s four years to complete 40 hours of service, or an average of ten per year. The school offers opportunities for kids to earn these hours through some planned service days. Sometimes it may be joining a cleanup crew at a local park, volunteering to help out at community functions or even volunteering to carve pumpkins with the younger students at the elementary school. Many different types of activities can count towards the required total.
I would have to say that my son has completed the 40 hours many times over before he even got to high school. I am glad that he has learned that its important to do things for others. But he didn’t need the school to teach him that. I am not sure that community service should be a requirement in the schools. It is important for children to learn compassion and charity, but can you enforce it?
Does your school require students to complete community service? Do you think it should be a requirement for graduation or is it wrong to enforce even a good idea? Or does requiring the community service provide students with the opportunity to learn how to be a better and more involved citizen?
