Community Service

VOLUNTEER HOURS — BASIC INFORMATION:

REQUIREMENTS:

Middle School………15 hours per year of attendance at NCS

High School…………20 hours per year of attendance at NCS

The service hour year runs from May 1 – April 30 each year.

Any hours earned after April 30 will be credited to the following year.

• Verification of hours is accepted using the ACTS Form, either electronically OR hardcopy.
• All members must enter hours within two weeks of service. Hours submitted after this deadline will be denied. NO EXCEPTIONS.
• Hours served during summer months must be submitted and dated by August 31. Keep in mind if you volunteer at an organization in June but don’t submit until August, that organization may not verify your hours. Rule of thumb, submit your hours when you complete the service.
• Verification for ALL HOURS must come from an email address ASSOCIATED WITH THE ORGANIZATION RECEIVING YOUR SERVICE. No personal, generic email domains (Gmail, Hotmail, Outlook, etc.) will be accepted for verification unless the student provides a screenshot of the organization’s website showing the email associated with the person verifying the hours. For example, if you volunteer at NAM under NCL, YMSL, etc., you must sign in AT NAM and submit your hours to the volunteer coordinator AT NAM to verify your hours.
• All submissions must include a title (the name of the event), a complete description (where the activity took place and the physical activity involved), and a reflection that shares how the community was impacted by your service.
• It is the expectation that members regularly follow up on any hours that are denied or unverified. Denied hours will include a comment stating what needs to be completed and if eligible for resubmission. Allow Mrs. Harmann one week to review and enter hours.

Any unique circumstances that do not fall under these guidelines should be discussed with Mrs. Harmann before beginning the project.

What are the requirements for Service?

• Must be for a registered non-profit 501(c)(3).  If you are not sure – ask first.
• It must benefit the community.
• Must have direct supervision by the sponsoring organization, a Northland teacher, or a staff member.

VOLUNTEER HOURS — LIMITATIONS:

• 10 hours maximum per day of active participation/service, i.e., overnight camp.
• No travel or rehearsal time.
• Parents, students, family friends, etc., may not supervise nor verify hours.
• Participation in walk-a-thons, bike-a-thons, marathons, etc., to raise funds for a non-profit organization will be limited to the time it takes to complete the course for a maximum of 2 service hours. Hours will only be accepted for physical participation and not for donations or fundraising.
• Individual projects that involve a product or handmade donation must be sponsored by an NCS organization or be approved by Mrs. Harmann. Limitations may be applied. All other donations are not permissible.  If you are not sure – ask first.
• Tutoring must be directly supervised by an NCS teacher or through a 501(c)(3) organization. Organizations created or led by students may not verify hours for our members.  If you are not sure – ask first.
• Members may claim hours for work completed on any school campus (public or private) that benefits the school community as a whole, i.e., library, PTO, front office, and admin assistance.  If you are not sure – ask first.

VOLUNTEER HOURS that DO NOT count:

• Members may not claim hours for service completed without direct adult supervision by the sponsoring organization or an NCS teacher, including, but not limited to, project planning, baking food, blankets, bracelets, crafts, letters, etc.  If you are not sure – ask first.

• Members may not claim hours for any activity for which pay is received or a grade/credit is earned.
• Members cannot claim hours for political campaign lobbying, including, but not limited to, rallies, distribution of materials, phone banking, and fundraising/donations.
• Members may not claim attendance hours at club or organization meetings on or off campus.
• Members may not claim hours for career exploration, including, but not limited to, internships, seminars, rotations, observations, or conferences.
• Members may not claim hours for social media research, digital designs, website creation, media campaigns, or social media posts.
• Members may not claim hours for elderly care or nursing facilities that are for profit. ALWAYS check the website or contact the supervisor to ensure nonprofit status.  If you are not sure – ask first.
• Any unique circumstances that do not fall under these guidelines should be discussed with Mrs. Harmann before beginning the project.  If you are not sure – ask first.

Students working toward the Presidential Service Award will submit the hours by April 1st to allow time for processing and presentation.

Middle School – Teen Standards

Bronze Medal = 50-74 hours   

Silver Medal = 75-99 hours   

Gold Medal = 100+ hours

High School – Young Adult Standards

Bronze Medal = 100-174 hours   

Silver Medal = 175-249 hours   

Gold Medal = 250+ hours

Seniors who complete 100 hours of documented community service during their four years of high school will be honored with a green service cord at graduation. These hours must be completed by May 1st.

A student who fails to complete their required service hours will:

• Be assigned service projects prior to the start of school
• Be ineligible for exemption from finals

Seniors

• Seniors must have 60 service hours to qualify for off-campus lunch.
• Any senior who fails to complete their required 80 service hours will have their transcript held until the delinquent hours are fulfilled.