Should High School Students be Required to Complete Community Service Hours?

[5Henry]

Community service is unpaid work that is meant to help people in a community. Examples of community service are tutoring younger students, volunteering at a community center, and helping elderly or disabled people with yard work or chores around their homes. Some states require that students complete a certain amount of hours in order to graduate and others do not. Certain groups in high school such as Student Council and National Honor Society require their members to help in their community, but it is not required of all the students.

 

Volunteering to help people in a community makes students good citizens and can make them feel better about themselves. It teaches them social and leadership skills. Students learn how to do new tasks and they may even become interested in a career working with the community. Also, it can help students stay physicaly healthy and increases self-esteem. Community service helps better the community and the people in it. 

 

However, some students see it as a punishment since they do not have the option. They want to do other things with their free time and it can take away from sports or extracurricular activities. Some people do not find community service meaningful and do not get satisfaction from helping others. It can also add to their stress and be harmful to their mental health and cause poor grades.

 

I believe high school students should be required to complete community service hours in order to graduate, but I think the amount of hours should be low. It will give students the experience of helping others in their community and it will not take away a lot of time from other activities. If they decide they like it, they can do more.

 

Questions:

Do you think students should be required to do community service?

Do you think community service makes you a better person?

Do you do any kind of community service?

 

Sources:

https://habitatbroward.org/blog/why-community-service-is-important/#:~:text=Community%20Service%20Helps%20Connect%20to,are%20less%20fortunate%20than%20us.

https://www.mlive.com/opinion/kalamazoo/2011/08/should_high_school_students_be.html

https://brilliantio.com/why-should-volunteering-not-be-mandatory/

https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-community-service

 

 

 

[4Vylet]

I think that community service should be required for high schoolers because it would teach us to socialize more instead of always being on our phones. I also believe that it would help people be a team leader. 

[5Henry]

I do agree to your comment and also the point that you made about community service helping students to be off their phone and to be more social.

[5Clara]

I think everyone should be required to do community service, it would be a good experience. It would get kids to do real work and learn to use team work skills, it could possibly help people make friends. Doing community service is an act that helps the community and yourself. I have done community service and it is fun. 

[6Carly]

I think students should be required to complete some sort of community service in their high school career. I think community service is vital for producing well-rounded citizens and members of the community once they leave highschool. Groups like NHS and Student Council are also groups I think should require community service. Giving back to your community is part of what makes a good leader fit to be a member of those organizations. 

[7Kennedy]

I dont think community service should be something everyone is required to do, but I do think helping out the community and the enviroment is something people should do just out of respect. I think it will make you a better person by doing a small deed. 

[6Abe]

No i do not think students should do community service. Community service does not make me a better person. I do not do any. Becasuse I dont get paid.

[5Annabelle]

I don't think high school students should be required to do community service, but I think extra credit should be offered if they did do community service. It definetely makes you a better person, you are caring for the environment and the people around it.

[5Henry]

I do agree to everything you said, and I do especially agree that community service does help students care for the environment and the people around it.

[5Henry]

I do agree with your comment and I do agree that  community service is beneficial for the students characters.

[5Henry]

I do agree with your comment and I do agree that  community service is beneficial for the students characters.

[6Eric McCulley]

I don't think students should have to do community service because they could have more personal issues to deal with plus working. Community service doesn't really shape who you are it's based off of what you choose not what you are doing. I don't usually do any community service.