Caption: Students from high school doing child care after school during Mother’s Tea, this Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. [Photo by: Dr. Cristina Meier]
Community service hours are very common in American schools, because it gives each student a chance to participate in volunteer hours for a noble or higher cause. A study (LINK HERE) from the University College London (UCL) shows that the act of giving back to the community can boost personal happiness, health and a sense of well-being. That is one of the reasons PACA requires community service hours.
“It is important to be actively involved in the community and in learning things you are not able to learn in class,” says Mr Josh Stockment, the secondary principal at PACA.
According to Stockment, the community services earned by high school students are really important for their time at PACA and for their future. At the end of their senior year of high school, each student should have earned a minimum of 30 hours per high school year at PACA. For students who have attended PACA since ninth grade, that sums up to 120 hours.
“I recommend for the student to find a particular group that they feel a part of so that they can develop a relationship with the people that you are a servant of,” said Stockment.
Students who are unsure where to find community services, can consider looking in the bulletin board next to the secondary office. Secondary secretary, Vanusa Abreu, often updates this board with new service opportunities on a regular basis.
“The bulletin board is where you can find works,” says Stockment, “for additional opportunities.”
Currently, there are several opportunities for students to help with child care on afternoons in which the elementary classes are hosting a “mom’s tea.” These gatherings are a traditional event for moms of elementary students to meet together at least once a year with their child’s homeroom teacher, socialize and get to know each other better.
Some students got an early start with their community service hours by helping staff with their back to school preparations. Natasha Swisher, a 9th student, started with her community service hours a week before school started, as she helped with child care provided for staff parents during the teachers’ inservice days.
Swisher said what she enjoyed best about taking care of the children, “getting to know the children, and being able to understand how to best help them.”
Another reason to participate in community and volunteer services throughout one’s years in high school is to give each student a chance to highlight their personal character through their acts of service to others toward their college applications.
“It helps set up people to have a good job and future life,” said Swisher. “And in this way the colleges see you as whole; not only academically.”
