<p>“Our experience has been that unless you absolutely do all kinds of hand holding and build the community service into an already jam-packed Gov’t course the kids simply do not take the initiative to complete the requirement until their backs are completely against the wall.”</p>
<p>Community service could be built into required classes like health and phys ed that - -depending on the system – all kids have to take. Community services also could be a required part of all school clubs.</p>
<p>An hour or 2 of community service also could be built into all school courses. It wouldn’t need to be done during class time, though – depending on the project – that could be a possibility. The teacher could give credit for the students doing things related to the class. The students could be expected to write a brief paper about their experience and to provide proof that they did it. When S was in middle school, all of the students taking 8th grade government were required to serve as jurors in Teen Court once during the school year.</p>
<p>The PTO and SGA also can sponsor service activities that would be school-wide. </p>
<p>All of my district’s high schools have been involved in building a Habitat for Humanity House. The top school administrators are working with our county’s volunteer center to have a week long series of service activities for high school students. </p>
<p>And, yes, students often will not do their service until their backs are against the wall. However, that’s life. They act the same way with term papers, book reports, etc. Those things still are assigned.</p>