EHS Community Service Letter (9-12)

This means that 50% of the hours must be around one central issue. The other hours can be about other issues or the same one. A social issue can be the environment, homelessness, poverty, equity, literacy, animals in danger, community safety, elders, hunger, immigration, special needs and disabilities, health, or another community problem that the student views as an issue he/she would like to address.

EXAMPLES:

Social Issue: Closing the Achievement Gap
Community Service: Tutoring grade school students

Social Issue: Leadership and Social/Emotional Support
Community Service: Leading youth group for a religious organization

Social Issue: Disabilities
Community Service: Coaching a teen in Special Olympics

Social Issue: Physical Health
Community Service: Counseling at outdoor camp

Service hours are cumulative from grades 9-12. Students can carry hours over to the next year if they exceed 120 hours or if they do not complete 120 hours in a given year.

Yes! Student begin counting their service hours after the last day of school as an 8th grader.

Yes! Students can earn up to four service letters, one each school year in grades 9-12. Only one service letter is awarded per year.

Yes! Singing is counted as community service.

They may count, as long as the volunteer hours are optional. If the service hours are required for participation in a sport or other activity then they cannot count for the Community Service Letter.

Yes! A senior can put the community service letter on college applications and resumes.

Please only count the hours you are actively doing the service work (don't count sleeping, food breaks, etc.). Most camps and service trips are 6-10 hours of volunteer work per day.