REQUIRING COMMUNITY SERVICE

FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION

By: Krislene Dye EDU 290

October 27, 2009

Requiring Community Service for High School Graduation

It has become more common for public schools around the United States to require students to complete a set number of community service hours before graduation.

Though requiring community service in some school districts has created many lawsuits in the U.S.

Community Service is a Good Thing….Right?

Opponents feel that this graduation requirement creates “mandatory volunteerism.”

Proponents claim that community service creates service learning, which is essentially a “tool to enhance student learning”(Kraft).

Read more: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2414/Service-Learning.html

Examples of Community Service Projects

Tutoring Working at Soup Kitchens Fundraising Blood Drives Environmental Clean-up Coaching Sports

Read more: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2414/Service-Learning.html#ixzz0VAtKlESI

Name: Blood_drive

Author: jeremyfoo

Name: Road_cleanup

Author: P_Linehan

Name: Orange_Vest_Volunteers

Author: MoBikeFed

Name: Planting_trees

Author: laura.ouimette

The Difference Between Community Service & Service

Learning Community

ServiceService

Learning - Volunteering and Aiding your community and/or a organization.

- Volunteering and Aiding your community and/or a organization.

- Benefits the recipient more then the provider

- Equally benefits the recipient and the provider

- N/A - The volunteer activity is integrated into the classroom curriculum, and reflection of activity is often present.

Statistics on Community Service & Service Learning “The percentage of high schools involved in

some form of community service rose from 27 percent in 1984 to 83 percent in 1999”

A Roper Starch survey (2000) found that while 61 percent of Americans were unfamiliar with the term service learning, over 90 percent endorse the concept when it is explained to them.

Read more: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2414/Service-Learning.html#ixzz0VAjETaRI

Opponents of Required Community Service

Cost Scheduling of every child in school

to a project accomplished effectively Do some service organizations

expose minors to potential risks? If so who is reliable?

Adequate adult supervision Specific Requirements - How many

hours is enough but not too many?

Opponent views gathered from: “Mandated Volunteerism: Is It Right? Do We Want It?”

Proponents of Required Community Service

Positive effects on “…personal identity, spiritual growth, moral development, interpersonal development, the ability to work well with others, leadership, and communication skills.”

Leads to greater acceptance of diversity

Increase seen in Grade Point Averages

Read more: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2414/Service-Learning.html#ixzz0VAqsDZZl

Service Learning – History & It’s Impact on Public Schools

Service learning was first identified as a type of instruction in the mid-1960s

“[Service Learning] has also been called the "Trojan Horse" of school reform, and has become a mechanism which many schools and colleges are using to bring the school and community closer together and to provide a more active learning environment for students” (Kraft).

Creates better relationships between teachers, students, and the community

Creates motivation in classrooms

Read more: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2414/Service-Learning.html#ixzz0VAtxFJOR

Service LearningThe components of service learning:

the need for active participation

collaboration between school and community

integration with the students' academic curriculum

structured time for reflection

opportunities to use newly acquired skills in real-life situations

extension of learning beyond the classroom

fostering a sense of caring for others

Definition by The Commission on National and Community Service, http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2414/Service-Learning.html

The Future of Service Learning

Keys Points to the success of required Service Learning Programs:

School Boards need financial backing for these programs (until this happens implementing service learning may be put on the back burner.)

Volunteered assistance by parents is essential to any service learning program.

Well trained teachers and administrators Read more: “Mandated Volunteerism: Is It Right? Do We Want It?”

Conclusion As a future educator and an active member of Central

Michigan University’s community I see and understand the importance of Community Service.

Service Learning trumps Community Service Require service learning over community service This would diminish the argument of volunteerism shouldn’t

be mandatory, because service learning is curriculum based. Mandatory service learning would be about LEARNING to

volunteer and how it connects to curriculum, instead of forcing volunteering (which is where most of the debate comes from).

Service Learning would create a better community for everybody, including the students who would learn a new life skill. Read more: “Mandated Volunteerism: Is It Right? Do We Want It?”

Works CitedEyler, Janet., Kraft, Richard J. “Service Learning - School, Higher Education.” 2009. 27

September 2009. http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2414/Service-Learning.html

Lopez, Mark Hugo. “Youth Attitudes towards Civiv Education and Community Service Requirements. Fact Sheet.” ERIC. October 2002: Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE). 27 September 2009.

Morris, Christine. “Mandated Volunteerism: Is It Right? Do We Want It?” ERIC. September 1992: 1- 4. Updating School Board Policies; v23 n7. Web. 27 September 2009.

ImagesBlood_drive.jpg. Personal Photograph by jeremyfoo. 29 October 2009. http

://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremyfoo/1124875987/sizes/l/

Orange_Vest_Volunteers. Personal Photograph by MoBikeFed http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobikefed/2841175563/sizes/l/

Planting_trees. Personal Photograph by laura ouimette. http://www.flickr.com/photos/8244126@N06/512532859/sizes/l/

Road_cleanup. Personal Photograph by P. Linehan. http://www.flickr.com/photos/p_linehan/1383839970/sizes/l/