Connecting Theme, Students, and Community Volunteer Opportunities
Community service offers students an introduction to a career or industry of interest. Some schools have implemented mandatory community service requirements.
School Example Through a partnership between a health career magnet high school and a nearby medical and research facility, students earn credits toward a health elective by contributing 100 or 200 service hours. Volunteer tasks include providing clerical support, reading stories to patients, helping patients with nonmedical paperwork, or assisting with Sunday church services. In return, health professionals come to the school and give presentations to the students on the health industry.
Community Field Trips
Leverage local geography and history to extend learning opportunities, or embed field trips into project-based learning.
School Example A service learning and civic responsibility magnet gives students an opportunity to learn more about their community through a local cemetery. Student teams examine headstones to map immigration patterns, explore the socioeconomic status of various groups, and conduct research and write reports on the community’s historical figures.
