Everyday, thousands of high school students immerse themselves in their community and create satisfaction in helping others in need. Community service is a critical aspect of teen development. Without it, students do not realize how much it means to help others, and they do not get the full experience of working with different people. Volunteerism is required in many high schools around the United States, but not all of them. This issue is incredibly controversial because the debate is whether community service actually helps students in the long run. It can never hurt to help others; nevertheless, much time is spent on the decision of whether it should be mandatory or not. Although many people believe that this is an unnecessary effort, high
…show more content…
Because of this, the aspect of mandatory volunteering can only encourage teens to get involved in their community. Once they get their feet wet, many realize it is something they love to do. For instance, an eighteen year old senior completed 350 community service hours after being required to do only fifty hours of service. These eye-opening opportunities in high school can lead to a lifelong passion of giving back. Additionally, encouraging students to volunteer also helps their their mind to grow in substantial amounts. Through working with others, most develop critical life skills such as leadership, teamwork, organizational skills, and communication. Not only can essential lessons like these be learned, but there is a sense of pride that many feel when they put a smile on someone’s face or give them something they have always needed or wanted. As a result, students start to realize how much they have the ability to make a difference. These life-changing experiences shape how youth interact with their …show more content…
An elderly woman who got to take part in a high school community service project states, “Many think that volunteering is all about what you give. But what catches you by surprise is how much you receive in return.” This demonstrates why many people do not feel that they should give back because they do not believe the benefits that they can get from it as well. Consequently, when creating that feeling of happiness and satisfaction in someone else’s life, it comes back to the person creating it. Volunteering to help someone get tutored, help the handicapped, involve themselves with a program like Meals on Wheels, certain environmental work, etc., not only does one gain from that, but one’s community has been helped because of them. For example, a grandmother of sophomore in high school passed away in 1999 because of refusal to eat and loneliness. Next year, the granddaughter, who was then a junior, created organization to prevent that, and it made an incredible impact. This shows that she was able to help herself cope with the death of her grandmother, but at the same time she helped others to prevent it from happening again. Another great reference is when President George W. Bush claims, “Americans serve others because their conscience demands it, because their faith teaches it, because they are grateful to their country and because service brings
Because of this, the aspect of mandatory volunteering can only encourage teens to get involved in their community. Once they get their feet wet, many realize it is something they love to do. For instance, an eighteen year old senior completed 350 community service hours after being required to do only fifty hours of service. These eye-opening opportunities in high school can lead to a lifelong passion of giving back. Additionally, encouraging students to volunteer also helps their their mind to grow in substantial amounts. Through working with others, most develop critical life skills such as leadership, teamwork, organizational skills, and communication. Not only can essential lessons like these be learned, but there is a sense of pride that many feel when they put a smile on someone’s face or give them something they have always needed or wanted. As a result, students start to realize how much they have the ability to make a difference. These life-changing experiences shape how youth interact with their …show more content…
An elderly woman who got to take part in a high school community service project states, “Many think that volunteering is all about what you give. But what catches you by surprise is how much you receive in return.” This demonstrates why many people do not feel that they should give back because they do not believe the benefits that they can get from it as well. Consequently, when creating that feeling of happiness and satisfaction in someone else’s life, it comes back to the person creating it. Volunteering to help someone get tutored, help the handicapped, involve themselves with a program like Meals on Wheels, certain environmental work, etc., not only does one gain from that, but one’s community has been helped because of them. For example, a grandmother of sophomore in high school passed away in 1999 because of refusal to eat and loneliness. Next year, the granddaughter, who was then a junior, created organization to prevent that, and it made an incredible impact. This shows that she was able to help herself cope with the death of her grandmother, but at the same time she helped others to prevent it from happening again. Another great reference is when President George W. Bush claims, “Americans serve others because their conscience demands it, because their faith teaches it, because they are grateful to their country and because service brings