Volunteer

[mattdavis11]

I don't think we had a mandate to volunteer to graduate high school. However, there were vocational options where you had to work, and got out of school early to do so.

I did not participate in any of that.

We had fund raisers where students could volunteer their time to raise money for specific functions, events, or other. For instance, the band would use school resources to wash cars (water), things of that nature. Not sure if they had to or not. They probably did if they were on the team, club, etc...

One that raised a lot of money for each senior prom was a park and ride. The school was about a half mile from where the PGA played the Byron Nelson Golf Tournament each spring. Faculty and students would sell parking spots, then shuttle them to the gate, and pick them up at the end of the day.

I figured, if they can sell parking spaces on a publicly owned parking lot, so could I, but on the street. We lived closer to the golf course, and people would rather walk than sit on a crowded bus to and fro. I set out cones up and down my street and charged $5. One year, I asked mom and dad if I could open up the back yard, I was sold out. I made a killing! The police put a stop to it and barricaded the streets years later.

While I do think volunteering is a good idea, it should not be mandatory.

[URY914]

If your kids can't find the right place get their service hours don't blame the system. It is called volunteering because they don't get paid. My daughter's HS only allowed them to work at non-profits. She ended up working at the Shriner's Hospital making copies and doing simple tasks but it was the exposure to the environment that was the goal. It got her interested in the healthcare field, she graduated from college with a degree in healthcare management and now works at the hospital. SCORE!

[Rusty Heap]

Community Service is part of getting your Eagle Scout badge.

[cassisrot]

I volunteered once and wound up spending a year in far away places with strange sounding names.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by mattdavis11

While I do think volunteering is a good idea, it should not be mandatory.

I agree, at least not in Public Schools...

My daughter went to Catholic School for 12 years and had to volunteer in HS...it was actually well done and the hours were not onerous. I am not sure what the benefit was, but she did it. In the summer she volunteered as a waitress at a water front crab shack here in Southern Maryland

My son bailed on the Catholic School thing after the sixth grade. His HS had no volunteer requirement or program. Thank god.

[ZOO]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

^^
Please elaborate.

Some students have access to networks of people that allow for really cool opportunities. We live in a city with two universities, a teaching hospital, and a college. Plenty of rich volunteer opportunities in such places. If you know of them, and can access them. Other students don't have that kind of network. Their volunteer hours may not provide much utility for a resume, or a university entrance application.

Some of our schools track the hours beyond the required 40, and use it for awards and scholarships. Having 1000 plus hours of volunteer time is notable, but it's likely subsidized by economic privilege at home. Poor kids who need to work to contribute, or survive, don't have that.

[wdfifteen]

^^
I see. Unintended consequences.

[ramonesfreak]

i went to a jesuit high school. i had to volunteer to visit residents at the local nursing home….but it was only a couple hours per week…it certainly didn’t do much for my network

[onewhippedpuppy]

My kids are required to volunteer starting in middle school with the required hours increasing until they graduate. Required or no I think there’s value in doing something for your fellow man and receiving nothing in return.

[look 171]

The key word here is mandatory that I am not ok with. Private school? You know it going in so that's that. Its private, and I suppose they can do as they please. Public schools are a whole different animal. Around here, its a different situation due to our geography. There are public schools districts that are small, highly competitive, just like high end private schools then there's the large school districts that are dragging, more interested in the importance of pronounce, where the big grant is coming from and how to move up to make 175k a year instead of the education of their students.

These people I spoke to work in the depressed part of town. In a healthy party of our cities, there are engineering, accounting, medical, and many other industries but in the lower social economic areas, these business just do not exist but the small liquid stores, markets, and a hospital or two. Not even Starbucks exist there. So to make this mandatory is a bunch of BS. Like Matt said, influence them to offer their time to help their fellow man kind is the way to go, but make it mandatory is slavery? My suggestion was to have them volunteer along with their students for two weeks during their summer vacation and I will agree. The very same people seem to always know best for others yet they will never lift a finger.

[gordner]

Originally Posted by Arizona_928

More competitive for scholarships, university admissions, ect.

Kinda separates the have vs have not. If you're dirt poor and working during the school year. You'll have a lower gpa, lower attendance, and overall less opportunities over the nuclear family....

There are lots of nuclear families who are also dirt poor.

[Baz]

Wouldn't a young person learn more by working a part time job for income than working for nothing?

I mean in theory the work for nothing thing can be done at home - helping their family and neighbors. But not being forced to by some outside faction.

Does Scouting still exist? I was a Cub and Boy Scout and we did plenty of community projects - building character and learning the concept of teamwork.

Let's get Scouting back on track!

[URY914]

Originally Posted by Baz

Wouldn't a young person learn more by working a part time job for income than working for nothing?

I mean in theory the work for nothing thing can be done at home - helping their family and neighbors. But not being forced to by some outside faction.

Does Scouting still exist? I was a Cub and Boy Scout and we did plenty of community projects - building character and learning the concept of teamwork.

Let's get Scouting back on track!

The scouts were done in by the abuse they allowed to happen. Read up on it.

[Baz]

Originally Posted by URY914

The scouts were done in by the abuse they allowed to happen. Read up on it.

Doesn't mean we can't bring them back. Under new management, perhaps.

I never liked throwing the baby out with the bath water. Keep baby - get new bath water.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by look 171

Got talking with a friend over the weekend. A couple of his friends were over and the subject came up. They were teachers from his school. Both think its the greatest thing to man kind to make it mandatory for students do this for X amounts of hours (30) in their 11 and 12 grade year. I disagree with this completely.

Simple, you are mistaken.

We need to instill a bit of what you get from helping those less fortunate in the youth of America. It also exposes them to responsibility. Profound lack of this exposure in young people.

It should not be slave labor for some business. It should be helping out at a nursing home, or a rehab facility for handicapped children, that sort of thing. Call it community service instead of volunteering.

[black73]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

My kids are required to volunteer starting in middle school with the required hours increasing until they graduate. Required or no I think there’s value in doing something for your fellow man and receiving nothing in return.

So will they be refusing their diplomas?