Feb
2021
“Service Hours”
“Service Hours”
In many schools across the country, service hours / community service are an integral part of a students education. In the case off some schools, it is even a graduation requirement. I can attest to this because I my high school you needed 30 service hours a year in order to graduate. These service hours could be attained in various different ways but as long as we were able to do something to help out in the community, we would earn hours. However, there is one debate about this topic that is held by many and it can be summed up in a few questions: Should schools be able to require service hours? Can we really call it service if it is required?
In my personal opinion, service should be something that people voluntarily do. Yes, community service is fantastic, however, I would see kids at my school going to community service events and dreading being there the entire time. Their work ethic was not all there, and they would even tell people at the events that they were only there so they could meet their graduation requirements. If you ask me, service should be out of the goodness of your heart. Although I have this perception on what service should be, I believe that overall it has many benefits to students. It teaches students about responsibility and initiative, and dedication and selflessness.
Especially in todays day and age, community service is becoming more and more necessary in the college application process. With that being said, there are some individuals who are completing service hours solely in order to gain college admission, and check a box on their college application. Like I said earlier, I think a reason like this is the wrong reason to do service for others, stressing the importance of service hours in schools has led to many amazing things. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, the percentage of teenagers from ages 16-19 who volunteer more than doubled between 1989 and 2005. Making service hours required has therefore had an immense positive effect on getting students across the country involved in their communities, which helps to create better members of society.
In conclusion, while I do not like the attitude that many students take towards community service, I believe that as long as the community is benefiting and students are playing a part in making their communities a better place that schools should integrate service hours into their curriculum.
mea5590
February 4, 2021 at 3:10 pm (4 years ago)I agree that service hours shouldn’t be forced, so that there is genuine good will behind each act of service. I also volunteered in high school off of my own volition, not to check boxes in my resume.I’m grateful for that opportunity to give back to my community in the best way that I could.
Leah Mathews
February 4, 2021 at 3:17 pm (4 years ago)I really liked your perspective on community service in high schools. Personally, my highschool did not require that we complete any specific amounts of public service unless we participated in NHS, which we would have a few required hours each semester then. It’s sad to me when people are forced to do community service when they don’t want to because it can lead to very unhappy service and usually that isn’t done as well as someone who wants to be there. I generally enjoy community service though and I think everyone should experience at least a little but in their life.
etm5204
February 5, 2021 at 4:09 pm (4 years ago)I agree with your stance wholeheartedly. If students are forced to participate in volunteer work, it becomes more of a requirement and less of what it should be – voluntary. This would take away the entire purpose of volunteer work, which is for students to better their community out of their own generosity, and they should expect nothing in return. Especially concerning college applications, students often rack up as much hours as they can just so it looks good for themselves. They only do it to get into better colleges, and not because they actually are motivated to volunteer. I think this all circles back to the fact that society is putting an extreme amount of pressure on our generation in school, and it is similar to how many will go to great lengths to get the best grades, without wholeheartedly learning the material
sxa5851
February 11, 2021 at 11:18 pm (4 years ago)This is such an authentic and productive post! I absolutely agree with you about Service Hours not really counting towards hours of service because of it being mandated; at least not on the student’s part. Voluntary action is what formulates true service. Being genuine and productive is what drives the premise of these service hours, so when students are basically forced, they are not giving it their all and they are merely providing surface-level service. Great post.