The Importance Of Community Service In High School

As defined by Webster Dictionary, community service is “a service that is performed for the benefit of the public or its institutions” and is synonyms with public service. An increasing number of high schools are requiring their students to fulfill a designated number of hours to the community in order to graduate. Many school districts believe that community service teaches students responsibility. High school students should be required to complete a designated number of community service hours, as community service participation can be used as leverage on a college application, allow students to build their network to learn more about scholarship opportunities, and assist students with developing their leadership skills.
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If students are required to volunteer, it is no longer volunteering...If a student enjoys volunteering, he or she will volunteer without having to be told” (“Mandatory Volunteering For High School Diploma Not A Good Idea”, 1996, para. 4).
Opponents also believe a community service requirement will take away from extra curricular participation and the student 's school work will suffer.
At times it seems the reasons opposing required community service are overshadowed by the support for mandatory hours. Schools are finding new ways to get students more engaged in the community. Community service is no longer limited to volunteering at the local soup kitchen.
Students can volunteer in their field of interest. There will always be students that do community service whether it is required or not. Implementing mandatory community service hours encourages students who may not normally participate in these activities to get more involved.
The Board of Education, parents, and students should experience the effects the service has one the ones being helped. Encouraging students to make a difference will lead to personal growth and community involvement for a