Community+Service+Focus

​​​​ Using the documents on community service requirements in high schools, write an essay explaining whether you believe that high schools in general – or White Knoll High School or Lexington One Schools – should make community service mandatory. Incorporate references to or quotations from a **minimum of three** of these sources in your essay. Remember to type "Posted by" and your "pseudonym" **before** your essay. You must press **SAVE** for your essay to appear on the wiki.

Posted by: NickiLewinsky >We all take but how often do we give back? In every community its members receive beneficial services, majority of which are provided by volunteer workers. It is essential to the growth and function of communities that its citizens volunteer their time. A community would not be able to run properly without the efforts of these people; however it is not given enough. Mandatory volunteer work should be present in all schools so that the students understand what it means to be an active member of a community. > Community service often goes without recognition although it is one of the most respectable things an individual can do. It allows the community to serve its members without payment in return, thus making the area a better living place for its residents. More importantly it provides the volunteer with a sense of achievement and self-righteousness that they have done an unselfish act that will ultimately be beneficial in countless ways, “The moral center of a community, that place where we can find the values of empathy, compassion, and caring, is the basis for civic responsibility and the success of the community.”(Source 2). A successful community is one that has members who are willing to contribute more than they take. It is a win-win situation from all aspects. >From the contribution of volunteer work the community will become a united organism will all its members working towards one goal- the success of its provider (community). It is necessary not only for the growth of the community but for that of its residents. One vital lesson in life is to understand that humans are not just individuals but part of a society, “Community service, the taking of physical action, reminds us of our connection and ability to connect.” (Source 2), that their actions affect their environment. The community will grow and thrive in a healthy manner whiles its residents and students are proud hardworking people who have earned respect “When an individual goes out in the world and interacts with other people in the spirit of bettering that individual makes a contribution and will feel a sense of accomplishment.”(Source 2). By putting forth an effort to better the community the students will be become more mature and one step closer to being able to handle graduation and the adult world. >Not everyone can see the true influence that volunteer work has on its community which is why students need to have their eyes opened for them. If the students are required to lend their services they will realize that they are gaining more then they are giving. After participating in volunteer work they will see how beneficial it is, “A new Millennial service ethic is emerging, built around notions of collegial action, to support the doing of good deeds…surveys show that five of every six Millennials (students) believe their generation has the greatest duty to improve the environment.”(Source 1). However the student should be the one to choose which field they volunteer in “Contain an element of free choice and to offer programs that allow students to choose the type of volunteer activity they will engage in or allow them to combine personal interest and skills with their service requirements.” (Source 5). The student will receive more out of their actions by seeing how they personally can make an improvement to the community. >Mandatory community service should be present in all schools because it is essential to the growth and maturity of the students. By contributing to their environment, something greater than themselves, they will see the power they have as individuals and as well as a whole. This is a lesson that will advantage them for the rest of their lives.

Posted by: NickiLewinsky > We all take but how often do we give back? In every community its members receive something beneficial from its community-majority of which is provided by volunteer workers. <= Huh? A community would not be able to function without the efforts of these people; however it is not given enough. Mandatory volunteer work should be present in all schools so that the students contribute to the survival of the community. >Community service often goes without recognition although it is one of the most respectable things an individual can do. It keeps the community functioning and makes the area a better place to live.  ( living place for all its residents. <= delete) More importantly it provides the volunteer with a sense of accomplishment and self-righteousness (the word self-righteousness does not have a good condentation  (it's connotation but good try), you should try a different word) that they have done an unselfish act that will ultimately be beneficial in countless ways, “The moral center of a community, that place where we can find the values of empathy, compassion, and caring, is the basis for civic responsibility and the success of the community.”(Source 2). A successful community is one that has member who are willing to contribute more than they take. It is a win-win situation from all aspects. The community will grow and thrive in a healthy manner whiles its residents are proud hardworking people who have respect for their surroundings, “When an individual goes out in the world and interacts with other people in the spirit of bettering that individual makes a contribution and will fell a sense of accomplishment.”(Source 2). Edited by -Scribbler Mandatory community service should be present in all schools because it is essential to its survival.
 * You need to use at least three sources
 * You need a conclusion paragraph
 * You did not talk about the main point of the paper; if high schools should make community service mandatory
 * You need to elaborate

Posted By: Heaven Leigh >Community service has changed from one generation to the next. Since World War II, it has changed from a form of punishment for teenagers to an act of kindness or a required part of a curriculum. Community service situates our moral center and teaches us through valuable experiences. It brings on a sense of responsibility but should not be a mandatory requirement for a student to graduate. >Today’s generation does feel a need to improve their surrounding environment. “Surveys show that five of every sic Millennials believe their generation has the greatest duty to improve the environment” (Source 1). This should be done through an act of volunteering though. Making a volunteer act into a mandatory service will make the whole process less enjoyable. >“Two-thirds of all public schools at all grade levels now have students engaged in community work, often…as part of the curriculum” (Source 1). This could be a great thing for schools, if all students wanted to be volunteers and actually help their community. Not all students are like this, making community service less enjoyable for the student. “Two studies suggest that community service requirements can have negative effects on students’ intentions to volunteer freely in the future but only when students feel that they aren’t ready to volunteer or that the requirement is too controlling” (Source 5). While people who want to volunteer are more likely to still volunteer in the future, people who do not want to volunteer in high school but are forced to so they could graduate are going to be less likely to ever want to volunteer for their community again. >“To avoid the negative effects of mandatory volunteer programs on students’ motivation, institutions should design these programs to contain an element of free choice and to offer programs that allow students to choose the type of volunteer activity they will engage in or allow them to combine personal interests and skills with their service requirements” (Source 5). This is the perfect thing to do when making community service a mandatory thing. Allowing students to choose what they would want to do for a community service project would make a student more willing to do it. But this still does not necessarily mean that it needs to be mandatory. >“Because community service embodies experiential learning, locating a moral center, community health, because it is about empowerment and making the world a better place, because these issues are at the core of being, we need to do it” (Source 2). Community service is an important thing to do for your surrounding environment. “The desire to act comes from a pride, caring, and respect for a community” (Source 2). Because of this, it will give you a better sense of responsibility, especially in future situations.

Your quotes are huge, more of your essay is in quotation marks than outside of them. It really messes with your language and makes the essay awkward to read because the level of diction is continually changing. Try to shorten your quotes and put more of the essay in your own words. Other than that, i just corrected a few obvious typos.

~That_Person

posted by jenna rink There are many arguments to be made about the issue of community service - should it be required? Will requiring it take away from its value? Should those who willingly participate be rewarded? Community service should be highly valued within a school, though not mandatory, so that individuals can see the positive effects of it and be more influenced to participate. Says the Dalton School, "The desire to act comes from a pride, caring, and respect for a community," (source 2).This respect and consideration for the community should be emphasized so that individuals wish to "give back" and help their community. Helping not only "makes [individuals] feel good," (source 3), but aides in carrying out necessary tasks within a community. These purposes could however be undermined when community service is made mandatory. //Mandatory Volunteerism// suggests that requirements on community service "can have negative effects" (source 5) on people's views of volunteering, and could steer them away from willingly volunteering in the future. Some clubs have proven that providing community service opportunities without requirements offers "a chance to be helpful and make friends" (source 4) without forcing students to participate for a mandatory amount of hours. With a positive emphasis on volunteering, students will be able to see others who volunteer and the benefits it has to them. They may then feel more influenced to take part in community service, and might even come back for more if they find the experience enjoyable. This way, the option of community service is not forced upon students, nor is it unfamiliar to them. If high schools wish to have students take part in community service, they should place a positive emphasis on it within the school clubs and organizations, and provide students with various volunteering options. The students will be inclined to volunteer, feel better about themselves, and help out their community all at once.

Posted By: jdtrey Currently, Lexington School District 1 (LSD1) requires a senior project to graduate from any of its high schools. Part of this project involves sever hours of “product” (community service). The explanation for this is that students need to give back to their community, and LSD1 decided to take this upon their selves. The requirement of community service within White Knoll High School (WKHS) will undermine and diminish the grandeur of the intended moral values; however, due to its many communal, and moral benefits, it should be highly recommended. The benefits of community are endless, and the need for them evident in Lexington, SC. WKHS does help with many of the local, n ation, and worldwide charities (LICS food drive, Pennies for Patients, Christmas Toy Drive…); and the students willing participate. WKHS also has many optional organizations that involve community service; students sign up for, and willingly participate within these organizations. Students have continually shown that they are willing to help, and that requiring it isn’t necessary. Requiring students in WKHS is over kill, and will cause students to resent it, even though they are already willingly participating. “Community service requirements can have negative effects on students’ intention to volunteer freely in the future” (source 5). Surveys (source 7) show that 66%, well more than half, of high school ages (15-17) feel unfavorable toward required community service. If the students don’t want to be required, but still are, they will be less likely to participate later on in life. By requiring students to help out in high school, it is very likely that they won’t again the rest of their lives. Willingly doing community service, is extremely beneficial. It benefits the recipient with an act or good, that otherwise, would not have been received. The volunteer gains empowerment and a sense of accomplishment (source 2). WKHS has many opportunities for students to serve with in their community, and the students have shown that they are highly willing to do so. There are clubs and organizations that support community service that students choose to participate in. The Lexington community has repeatedly thanked and shown it’s gratitude for WKHS students’ services. The goal of LSD1 is for the students to give back to the community. The requirement of a “product” in the senior project is only going to cause students to resent community service later in life. There is no reason or need to require community service from those who are already doing so.

Posted by Loveforquotes Over the past few generations, many people have selflessly donated their time to give back to their community or country through community service. Whether it’s through joining the military, picking up trash on local highways or planting trees on National Arbor day, community service benefits everyone. The actions of many people help improve the community and help promote organizations. Many organizations such as LICS, Willie Grothman Club (source 4.), and others have been formed, united under the idea of giving back to people in the community. As our schools incorporate community service in our senior project, many people are resistant. As they fail to realize, what they complain of is something that has helped many people, including their family and friends get where they are today. People fail to acknowledge that by committing to a few hours of community service, they are helping numerous neighbors, friends and others in the community. From personal experience, I have volunteered in band to receive my letter, and I also work a part-time job. I also know that once your goal is accomplished, you have an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment for a job well done. By picking a topic that you enjoy, community service could possibly influence your future career goals. Community service, whether a requirement or voluntary, helps improve the morale of the younger generation to reciprocate favors the community has provided for us all. Community service dates back decades, and always has been beneficial. Both men and women volunteered at local hospitals instead of serving in the Vietnam War (source 1.) Community service is linked to the law as punishments for violations (source 1.) While both are different, some people feel as if they are being punished by being required to commit to community service for the senior project. Even though both are beneficial, today’s society, including the school system, wants children to be “well-rounded and educated students.” I agree with being well-versed in many areas of life and helping others is definitely one of them. Experience in life is key to surviving and expanding your opportunities and knowledge (source 2.). Without experience or education, being successful in life would be very hard to obtain. If you find a topic or career that you would like to pursue, you could volunteer and “ Go behind the scenes.” By volunteering at a place that you are interested in, it could provide endless opportunities and possibly a career. (source 3.) John Prueter, a 13-year-old boy who volunteers at a nursing home, spent countless days their chatting and helping the elderly out. He found a subject that he enjoyed and hopes to work their one day. He wasn’t forced to volunteer, he spent time with his grandmother and wanted to contribute more. After a good experience at a place he enjoyed, he discovered a career; kids that are volunteering now could potentially find a career. Community service is always available in your area, all you have to do is find it and the reward of doing it is the best feeling in the world.

Posted by : Waverly Community service is an important aspect in high school and college students. It provides cultural understanding and a sense of self-worth among many other self-fulfilling attributes which give reason to make community service be required in all schools. If schools make community service a requirement for graduation then public services would increase around us. From 1984 to 1999, the share of high schools offering any kind of community service program grew from 17 to 83 percent ( source 1). Having community service grow like that around us would definently improve our surroundings as well as bring everyone in the community together, it is vital for a healthy community (source 2). Community service is something that needs to be done (source 2). Community services need to be do improve things around us. Without community service there would be more people on the streets, more of the hungry,more people without homes and so much more horrible things that you have rolling through your mind at the moment. <=(Powerful sentence, but re-wording it will help make your point more clear and focused.) With students being required to give back to the community theses problems would be fixed at double the speed that they are already being helped and maybe even solved because of the abundance of helpers giving. Giving to many sounds like having to labor over soup kitchens and clean up trash but really those are only the tip of the iceberg. The student service organization called Willie Grothman club does walks for AIDS, the homeless, breast cancer, and even bowling to benefit cystic fibrosis research ( source 4). (I like how you gave examples of fun community service to prove your point and persuade.) So, as you can see there are many things out there that students can be apart of and enjoy themselves and enjoy that they are doing something good for others. Required community service with /will benefit the ones who are giving by putting life into perspective. You learn new things from the situations that others are in. Community service makes (shows/teaches) you not to take things for granted. Not only does helping the community help others but it also helps your environment ( I'm not sure what you're trying to say here) but little trash pickups and tree plantings, things to make your world beautiful and a beautiful place to live. Creating community service requirements for graduation will not exhaust the want for helping, it would only increase the want for helping. It will increase when students find the self-fulfillment that it brings and the doors it opens for them. Over all this was a good essay with a few grammatical errors, nothing that a little proofreading won't fix :) Edited by Danielle posted by: BillBob  People have been volunteering their time for many years, and will continue to do so for many more. White Knoll High School is no exception. ​White Knoll is very helpful in the community through its numerous programs and providing many opportunities for students to get involved. ​ Making community service mandatory for the student will only deter them from wanting to help out, making the act of volunteering useless. The act of volunteering time makes a student feel like they are doing something special for the community. Students can feel a sense of accomplishment when they do something productive. Making community service mandatory for them will take away all sense of accomplishment. They will dread doing it, and will only feel relief when they deed is done. Records show that kids do not want community service to be mandatory from as young as fifteen years old, when 66% of kids age fifteen to seventeen said they did not want mandatory community work (Source 7). Many high school students in modern times view community service as punishment. Their friends tell them about how horribly boring it was to do countless hours of community work for their senior projects. This casts a very negative light on volunteering in the community. Being forced to do community work can “have negative effects on student’s intentions to volunteer freely in the future” (Source 5). If it was not mandatory, students would be more likely to volunteer their time in the community on their own time. The community benefits in many different ways from community service, ranging from trees being planted to helping the elderly. Many students would do these things freely, such as Prueter did when he spent “much of his afterschool time at the Alterra Sterling House” (Source 3). He enjoys helping out the elderly and just sitting down and talking to them. That does not seem to be very hard. Many students do not see community work like that since they are being forced to do it. If they had a chance to volunteer for something they enjoy doing on their own, they might see community work in a different way. White Knoll continues to help out the society in many ways, including the requiring of students to do community work. The discontinuing of mandatory community work could cast a new light on volunteering. Students would be more likely to volunteer in their free time if they were not already being forced to do so.

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Posted by Isebella Zook >While community service indisputably has its benefits, both physical and psychological, requiring it for students negates any potential growth. Growth of what? >Through the years, the definition for community service (and thereby its obligations)<-- Appositive needs clarification. It holds a different meaning than the phrase it modifies and has a weak connection. Possibly reword. has mutated. From generation to (very)<-- Remove generation, (even;) <-- Remove with each mutation, the purpose has been diluted further. From World War II, when it was fighting for something greater than a single person, to now with its basis in “altruistic” roots; the act of communism Wow that sentence made absolutely no sense. (Source 1). That is, the working of the individual for the “pool” of a given community. Poor arrangement at the end of this paragraph. Rewrite the last two sentences. >This is not to say the available benefits are not worth mention. Often times, community service is outside; it promotes good health as well as a kind of civic duty in men. And the fact that it is outside is important why? Source 2 states that “…participating in community service enables the individual to learn for himself and to teach other.” Never specifically state that a source said something. Use it as a integrated part of your own sentence. >The question is, however, not whether (or not) <--Remove community service is a good thing or not; the question is whether community service should be required as a kind of “medicine” <--Choose a different word. Medicine doesn't fit. for the youth. Source 5 states “two studies suggest that community service requirements can have negative effects on students’ intentions to volunteer freely in the future…when students feel that they aren’t ready to volunteer or that the requirement is too controlling.” Are you going to elaborate on that? >Service, (according to the Dictionary.com definition)<-- Replace with "by definition". You don't need to be specific as to where you found the definition since it is basically universal, is “voluntary work done by one person or group that benefits another.” Requiring it then, is a paradox .(New sentence, semicolon does not work there) I t completely removes the purpose of altruism which, in turn, would be the main reason for serving one’s community. __Things to Fix__ 1. Don't just state facts and sentences from the sources. Incorporate them into your writing. 2. Elaborate more on your ideas. They are too small-minded at this point. 3. Try not to use words that your audience (or you) don't know and understand. Just because the words are long and intellectual doesn't mean it makes your paper any more elaborate. It just draws away from the purpose of your writing as a whole. 4. Rewrite the noted sentences so they clearly express ideas and aren't just a jumble of ideas and jargon. ♪
 * Edited by: The Thracian **

Posted by: Ron Burgundy (is very sorry for accidentally deleting a bunch of those music note things above me)

The implementation of community service as a graduation requirement is both morally valuable and beneficial to a prospective high schooler’s future, and it should be encouraged that high schools require it. Some will argue that by requiring community service for graduation takes the moral value out of it, as the service is being performed by force rather than an act of kindness towards said community. However, like a toddler is unaware of how much they actually //enjoy// their vegetables until forced to try them, a student will not know the complete feeling that comes from serving their community until someone makes them serve. With all the stress already attached to being in high school, the average student is not going to volunteer their efforts any further than they are made to. Requiring community service is the only sure way to show a high schooler the joy of serving others. By requiring community service, students are given both a fulfilling experience and a boost in their GPA’s. In a scenario that benefits both the student and community, why would there be any controversy? Community service, whether completed by requirement or choice can be very beneficial to a future graduate both entering the workforce and applying for college. Today, the competition to gain a place in either field is tougher than ever and anything that can be added to a resume or application to illustrate character counts. Also, aside from completing a well-rounded application, community service will benefit the prospective graduate in their chosen environment, whether it be serving with their sorority/fraternity or relating to others in their workplace. The high school ears are among the last in a person’s development stages in life, as far as deciding the person they are going to be as an adult. Instilling the spirit of good nature in a person as a high schooler, by force or not by force, will affect them throughout life. Grades 9-12 are the last chance to teach a student good will, and like any other assignment given in school, how will a student learn if some sort of work is not required? Community service should be a requirement, not a choice. It is the only way to assure that high schoolers will partake in acts of generosity to the community and will be beneficial to them in the long term. Students cannot know the true value attached unless first shown where it is.

Stay Classy, San Diego! Posted by: Shakey >White Knoll High School absolutely should not make community service projects mandatory. The definition of "community service" implies that it is voluntary and requiring that it be completed is completely stripping away at its volunteerism. Community service is something that one should complete out of the goodness of his or her heart, and not for the sake of meeting school requirements. >Community service is very beneficial to the student. The article in //The Detroit News// called "Volunteer Work Opens Teen's Eyes to Nursing" shows just how beneficial volunteer community service can be to both the one giving the service and the one receiving the service. The article depicted the young teen as one who "helps with mail delivery, assists nurses and helps residents get ready for special trips or concerts" (Source 3). However, it was said of him that "He seems to enjoy talking to older people" (Source 3). So, the people receiving the service get their needs taken care of and the one giving the service has a delightful experience taking care of those needs. Although this is true in most cases with cases with volunteer community service, it is rarely true with required community service. That is because it is required and not something that the giver wants to participate in. >Requiring community service makes "students feel that they aren't ready to volunteer or that the requirement is too controlling" (Source 5). Generally when one feels that a requirement is too strict or controlling, he or she will do the bare minimum in order to get by and meet that requirement. If someone were do to that in a community service requirement, he is she is missing the point of community service altogether. The point of which is to teach us through experience "about the relationship between empathy and responsibility, about what it takes to be part of a community, in essence, about being human" (Source 2). It takes logging in numerous hours of community service in order to really reach that goal and sole purpose of doing it in the first place. One cannot truely learn about responsiblility if he or she does not take the initiative him or herself to participate in community service. White Knoll High School takes that reponsibility in enforcing him or her to do it.

John 3:16 †

*Reword some of the sentences where you used "he or she" and "his or her".
 * Reconsider putting the refutation part of the essay after the support for your argument.
 * Work on transitions between your points
 * Close the essay better.

edited by mileyyyyyy**
 * I tried fixing some of the stuff on the actual essay but it kept deleting things so i just put comments down here.

POSTED BY ELEANOR RIGBAYY Getting involved in the community, though it sounds like a bore and a punishment to this generation, could be a great learning experience, and could be the foot in the door for a future career. Sometimes it takes a little push to be selfless and get involoved. The word “requreird” maybe a turn off for some people and even make them sour about the idea, however it if it isn’t mandantory students are less likely to participate. In truth it is the attitude of the individual that makes it an enjoyable or miserable experience.  High school students now see community service as punishmensts for law violations (source 1) This is a rather unfortunate misconception among high school stundents. Community service is giving your labour for the benefit of another or more often the majority. The reward of community service is typically the gratitude your recive, so one can see how making it mandatory can take that away. However, when students see no instant personal benefit or profit, they just won’t do it. ehhhhhh its a work in progress... I cant find my sources, So i'm stopping for now. L  Ineedsleep. Here is something J  I kinda tried. I hope that counts for something?  Looks like theres only 10 others soo, goodnight. I promise i'll finish...

Posted by Atonement


 * Community service is the act of sharing similar interest **("an interest" or "interests") **with others in a beneficial way. I** (No first person) **think that community service should be optional for high school students. There is no benefit from doing an act of kindness if you** (No second person or contractions) **don’t enjoy it. Before the 1980’s community service was a part of the daily lives such as cleaning hospital bedpans (Source 1) or volunteering at a nursing home. The years has** (have) **evolved community service into believing that you only perform this as a way of punishment for breaking the law (Source 1) into the service becoming incorporated into the curriculum. The Bolstered by Acts of Congress created the Learn and Serve America program to give the opportunity to high school students to perform some form of community service. I thought that this should have been mandated by with looser terms. You can’t necessarily make someone do something they are** (he or she is) **not compliant with. There are students who feel optimism and empowerment (Source 2) after offering the volunteer services. The control aspects of volunteering can be deteriorated by the requirements to serve (Source 5) so to speak. By making this optional you can give the chance for others to experiment with, enjoy, or not seek to do either or.

You should add a littler more "meat" into your essay to where it contains more than one paragraph and the ideas flow better. :) Edited by: Shakey

John 3:16 †**

Posted by Scribbler >A Major debate facing schools today is weather (​(whether) requiring students to do community service defeats the whole purpose .( Stating the purpose may help to give a clear statement) Schools, parent, and students are split on the matter. Though there are pros and cons to both sides (unclear transition), when a school turns something that was meant to be people volunteering to help better the community they live in into something mandatory it looses some of its meaning. Forcing students to do community service undermines the point of community service and schools should instead encourage students to do community service without making it a requirement.

>Some people say that community service helps get students involved in the community and others say that it leaves students with a bad taste in their mouth that causes them to never volunteer again. ( I like the structure of this sentence (: just a little side note) Though requiring community service sounds great in theory; an uninspired student spends the day teaching little kids how to play baseball and then gets an epiphany to volunteer all throughout high school and college and then becomes a coach after graduating, the reality is that these stories are rare. Most students now link community service with "punishment for drunk drivers and Breakfast Club miscreants" (Source 1). If schools first change the mindset of the students to see community service as not just for punishment, students may be more inclined to do it on their own.

>Studies have shown that requiring community service can have a negative effect on students that planned on volunteering later on down the road who "feel that they aren't ready to volunteer or that the requirement is too controlling" (Source 5). Timing can sometimes mean everything in when making students volunteer. Students who spend four nights a week working, and about two nights doing their homework do not want to give up their only free day to go do more stuff that is required by school. Especially when a lot of teenagers are being expected to use their paycheck to pay for things like their cellphone bill, clothes, gas, car payment, or even car insurance at this point in time. With all these things on students plates the last thing they want to do is go searching for a volunteering opportunity that fits all of the things on the long list of requirement's that the school gives them. Then as if all of this does not sound daunting enough, some students do not have means of transportation to get to these different places to volunteer. All of this could just leave students who may have been glad to volunteer later on in life with the memory of how doing community service was difficult and tiring sometimes even before showing up to do anything.

>If schools really want to encourage students to volunteer, they should start by encouraging ( maybe substituting encouraging with "motivating students") students to start service organizations. Ones that do not involve "minimum hours or mandatory attendance or even formal enrollment" (Source 4). Service organizations solves one of the biggest problems with students not volunteering; they can do it with a friend. A lot of teenagers do not want to go to some place they have never been to, not knowing exactly what they are going to be doing or what to expect. If a student could go with a friend - or a group of friends - they are not only more likely to volunteer, but they are more likely to enjoy volunteering. If the service organization could do a lot of the dirty work such as; finding different community service activities, making the phone calls, setting up a date and time, and looking up the address students are usually more than willing to show up. The more opportunities that students are offered, the more likely they are to find one that they have a personal interest in too.

>If schools were more considerate of students (the) hectic ( maybe change hectic,busy lives to students "if the schools were more considerate towards the student's extracurricular activities outside of the classroom), busy life's they might realize that students need some freedom to choose if they want to do community service, what kind they want to do and when would be convenient for them to do it. Some people are just not the helping out type and a mandatory so many hours of doing something they could careless about is not going to change that. Making students who are not ready or able to do community service is not helping things either. If schools would just let the students who want and are able to volunteer join clubs at school that focus on that, they would probably see a greater outcome than forcing students to do it. Edited by Atonement

Posted by:mileyyyyyy <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Community service has turned into a question of whether it is something that people enjoy doing or a burden that people have to deal with. In attempts to get the people in our community more involved, community service has been made mandatory in Lexington district one schools. Mandatory community service will lose its true purpose if students are required to do them because it will make students fell forced into doing something they do not enjoy and it will discourage them from continuing in the future. Other than the mandatory requirement of community service in our school district, there are also optional community services where students are able to sign up for without being required to do a specific amount of hours. “Two studies suggest that community service requirements can have negative effects on students’ intentions to volunteer freely in the future (source 5).” By requiring students to do a certain amount of hours it takes away from their freedom to choose to do them. It takes away from the students’ willingness to contribute to the community. According to graphs from //Youth Attitudes toward civic Education and Community Service Requirements,// over half of teenagers from ages 15-17 (source 7) are unfavorable when it comes to community service requirements. If teenagers in this age group are being forced to do something that they are not in favor of doing, they are less likely to participate in more community service in the future. It will discourage many students to do community service for the right reasons. Students will only do them because they are trying to get enough hours to be able to earn a high school diploma. In our community there are many opportunities for students to willingly participate in community service. If students participate in community service that is not required, they are more willing to repeat their cause. The idea of making community service a requirement is immoral and it takes away from the true meaning of what community service is.

Posted By: Splashdown >Since World War II, the definition of community service has virtually stayed the same, however, its meaning and value in society has changed quite a bit. >Back then, people were able to take it upon themselves and volunteer for their community. Now, community service is a substitute for other means of “punishment, [especially] for drunk drivers” (source 1). Community service should not be made mandatory and doing so will only turn people off from the idea. >Much like the draft did, making community service mandatory would cause a lot of problems because it would be asking people to do something that was basically against their will. This is not fair to people and (although it’s not asking one to fight for their country) it shouldn’t be something that should be made mandatory. There are people that believe that if community service wasn’t made mandatory, it wouldn’t be done. While that may be true to some degree, it would be more important to impose these values on kids at a young age than force in (it) on them and make them hate it, because this is how people tend to think. We often go in with preconceived notions. Whether it is with a movie or restaurant, we have ideas of how things may go based on reviews or what we may have heard from others. With community service (ignoring the fact that it would be //mandatory// and that authority says we have to do it and teens especially are so willing to do listen to authority) we would go in with the thought that it is asdfaslfkheiohe (idea not clear) >A young boy, John Prueter, does a lot of volunteer work himself. He works especially with older people at an assisted-living home (source3). He loves his work very much, going in his free time after school and on weekends. He enjoys spending time with them, and they enjoy him as well. This is something he chose to do himself. This was not forced on him and he loves it. If we were to take more steps to emphasize good values and the emotional rewards of volunteering, there would be no need to make it mandatory. >In the end, you could use as many euphemisms as you’d like to cover it up, but there’s no way around the feeling of “mandatory” and pairing it up with community service just seems wrong. The values that would promote //voluntary// service are much more important. Pretty good essay but obviously needs work. edited by jennarink Posted by Danielle: Community service in the United States is important for a number of reasons. Besides providing help for those in need in our community, community service instills good values in those who commit and give up personal time to help others. Sadly, community service has gradually been declining in popularity for years, with unfavorable attitudes in the 15-22 age group (Source 7). By mandating community service in public school systems we insure the health of our community and the involvement of students wanting to make a difference. And so far in the “Millennial Era” or people born between 1982 and 2002, 5 out of 6 believe their generation has the greatest duty to improve through community service (Source 1). Making community service mandatory in schools will benefit in many ways. “Benevolent action is essential to the survival and prosperity of any community” (Source 2) By positively affecting the community and positively affecting the volunteer personally. Doing a kindness for one's community personally affects the individual involved in the service through personal enrichment and enhancing moral values like caring, empathy, and compassion. Overall, community service benefits all who take part, weighing the balance in favor of community service being mandatory.

Posted by Tiaa1: Community service is still a major topic debated today. Most people say that the objective of it is to better the community through helping in all that one can do. It's supposed to be voluntary. There is always going to be people that want to help out their community, but on the other hand people should not be forced to help. When the thought of community service appears mandatory, it is no longer worth while to some people. Schools, rather than requiring it, should encourage their students to do community service. You may want to have a more formal tone. Most teenagers nowadays see community service as a punishment. Not all teenagers, some volunteer and then end up doing it for years and years to come after that, but most hear the words community service and immediately put their nose up to it; thinking it's mainly punishment for "drunk drivers, delinquents, etc" (Source 1) When a teenager gets into trouble, depending on the situation, what's the first thing that their sentenced to? Community service. If the minds of teenagers would be persuaded to see the good in community service, they would do it on their own and there would be no reason in making it mandatory. Schools think that if they have strict rules and regulations, "mandatory hours and attendence" (Source 4) that it will scare teenagers into doing their community service or just doing it in the first place. Unfortunately, teenagers don't like authority and usually don't respond to condescending and totalitarian attitudes. If community service came off as more fun and exciting, it would attract more people to do it. A lot of teenagers have extracurricular activities after school and can't make time for mandatory "community service." It wouldn't even be a community service, more like a community job. It takes away from the entire meaning of community service if it's made mandatory. To take the initiative in doing it is part of learning to take responsibility for helping out your community, but never the less it's still an individual decision and shouldn't be made a mandatory job for teen Overall good points; however, it is overly wordy. You may want to focus more on having more sentences that only convey one idea at a time. Edited by: jdtrey Posted by doodle J Looking back at what all White Knoll High School has to do for senior projects right down to writing resumes for colleges. Community service is more of a need to keep in the school in the district. Teenagers may dread working on their own terms, but in the long run what they learned could pay off in their future. Responsibility and commitment to a person and a place will show the ones around them what they are capable of. In (source 2) is written on a private high school call Dalton. They say lessons are being taught when people go through the volunteer stage. It shows that one person could make a difference, then if so a huge group can make a great change. Actions can take a person far in life, it is up to the one doing the work to want to be there. Reading “Volunteer Work Opens Teens Eyes to Nursing“, is the next (source 3) on wanting to keep “community service”. John is the main person that the essay is wrote on. He goes out of his way to visit the elderly and help around the homes. Talking to some of the ones that live in the homes, they say John is enjoyable to be around and he loves to sit down and talk to them just to do it. Now a days teenagers do not really care to be around the “old folks” as they say it. If the district keeps community service around, that chance to actually go out and do work could turn into the same as it did for John. Within reading (source 4) “In the Good Name of Community Service”, it tells that students hold all types of organizations all the time. Events can be held for a single activity or for many causes. Money is given to funds when people walk so many miles they receive money for it, going to collecting around for the program. All types of games, events, and fundraisers are fun and enjoyable things to do to just help out around the town to school functions. Community service is more than collecting the most money or helping out because your told to. The person has to have the drive in them to get out and make change. Keeping it around will help though because the students are told what programs are out there and how to get started. The keyword for White Knoll High School to keep volunteer work is yourself.

By: Mr.-T Mandatory community service will undermine the moral and ethical purpose behind it and turn it into forced labor, discouraging further acts of community service. Community service has always been defined by its volunteer nature and the desire of the people volunteering to improve their community and society as a whole. Many schools and educational facilities now want to require students to participate in community service. The very idea of making community service mandatory makes it no longer community service, but community slavery. Children would be forced to work in something they were made to do without recompense, for the sake of what? Some will say for the benefit of the community. Then why not make it a law to require community service of everyone. Even criminals have the right to choose whether they want to do community service or serve jail time. Making community service required in schools would destroy the ethical and moral value of community service. . Children would be forced to work in something they were made to do without recompense, for the sake of what? Some will say for the benefit of the community. Then why not make it a law to require community service of everyone. Even criminals have the right to choose whether they want to do community service or serve jail time. Those who participate in community service also learn more of themselves and more about charity in general by motivating themselves and others to help the community without being forced. The aspect that makes community service so helpful is not the service itself, but it is the love and effort that the workers put into that service. By making it mandatory, that vital aspect will be gone, and community service will just be a form of cheap labor. Forcing students to participate in community service will also discourage them from participating in more community projects. Most volunteers begin serving in an area they feel compassionate towards, and then proceed to increase involvement due to the volunteers own passion for the work, and the need for the work in the community. One would interrupt this process of self discovery and self motivation by using punishment and law-enforcement to persuade people to “volunteer”. When forced to do something, people are less likely to do it, and even if they do the action, they only do what is absolutely minimum. This bad taste in the mouth of future volunteers is enough to create an aversion in today’s youth. With signs of today’s youth forming a more global mindset, this forcing of community service may be rendered completely unnecessary (source1). Mandatory community service will undermine the moral and ethical purpose behind it and turn it into forced labor, discouraging further acts of community service.

Posted by That_Person

>Community service is an admirable act that, without a doubt, is immensely beneficial to the person serving and to society as a whole. It has been shown that community service can foster important values such as "empathy and compassion" (Source 2) within participating children and teenagers alike. However, if community service is forced upon an individual it completely thwarts all efforts to foster a love of volunteering within that individual. Instead, due to the nature of humans and how they almost naturally dislike doing things that they are forced to do, it is more likely to cause those it is forced upon to become averse to volunteering in the future. Because of this, requiring community service in schools in order to teach students its values and to encourage them to continue doing it in the future is absolute folly and should not be done. >The problem lies within the phrase "Community Service", which equates to "Volunteering", itself. "Volunteer" by definition, is a person who willingly participates a service or undertaking. Therefore, if a student was to be forced to participate in such "voluntary" activities, then that student would no longer be volunteering now would he? Quite to the contrary, the student is participating in an activity that he, most likely, has no interest in completely against his will. This kind of experience will accomplish nothing but the fostering of negative feelings towards community service and, if the experience is a negative one, will completely dash any hopes of the student participating in any such activities in the future. This is exactly the opposite of what these "Mandatory Volunteering" programs are trying to accomplish. >While the definition of community service has not changed in almost 70 years, the implications that come with it have. Today's teens consider it punishment for "drunk drivers and … miscreants" (Source 1) and the law frequently reinforces this opinion. When a school makes community service a requirement in any way, Teens will start off already dreading having to do it. >There are, as always, exceptions to this rule. John Prueter, a seventh grader, finds great satisfaction in helping out at a retirement home in his town. (Source 3) However, he was not in any way mandated by his school to perform such work. This is proof that a love of volunteering can be fostered in children and teens without making it required in schools. Schools should encourage students to participate in food drives, donate to charities, help out in soup kitchens and anything else that is available in their community. However, the role of a school should never extend beyond that of simple encouragement. When a school begins to require community service as a graduation requirement or some other needed credit, students will immediately begin to reject it and its usefulness in teaching values to teens will be diminished. >Community service is no longer something that teens look upon favorably. While this may be a sad truth that society has to face, the remedy for it is not for schools to require it for graduation. A teen does not learn any of the values that volunteering teaches when it is done for the wrong reasons, such as it being mandatory. When a school makes community service mandatory, it undermines any efforts to foster a love of helping others in the student because the service becomes a chore. The purpose of volunteering is entirely defeated when one does not perform voluntary acts for the sheer personal pleasure and sense of accomplishment one receives and instead performs the act for some form of reward, such as graduation from high school.

Posted By: Benjamin RT : >>The concept of community service and the ways to accomplish it have changed throughout the years (source 1). The modern definition of community service could be to accomplish an act or goal that benefits society. Whether this “act of kindness” benefits the person doing the service, or if it should, is debatable, but there is a “service learning” trend that is growing in our communities (source 1). Community service should be required for graduation at White Knoll High School and throughout Lexington School District One because it benefits the community, promotes unity, and aids individuals with their future, their values, and their obligations towards their society. >>Community service benefits the community in many ways. It contributes to the prosperity and endurance of our communities (source 2). Community service also helps a community prosper because a monetary value is not gained from or charged for the community service. It is a free help for the community. If any monetary value were gained from the service rendered, it wouldn’t be community service anymore. It would be a job, and would not be of equal quality because of the reason people performed it. Also, if younger people were exposed to this sense of helping the community earlier in life, they may come back to that later in life (source 3). >>Community service also promotes unity in society. Through community service, younger generations can meet new people (source 2) and make life-long connections. If this happens on a larger scale, it can strengthen the community because the values of the individuals in that community start to resemble each other because of so many links and the time they spend with others. When younger people are involved in their community, they make friends throughout their community. This helps them continue their involvement and enjoy it. This unifies the different age groups, races, and classes in society and helps abolish discrimination, racism, and stereotypes. >>Community service aids individuals with their future, values, and obligations towards society. Community service can be the difference between getting into college with scholarships and having to work at a fast-food restaurant to pay for an education. It can help young people in their future and make both their transcripts and resume seem much better. It can also help people develop their values. Individuals can learn about different people and learn to accept the many differences in society with much more ease the more and earlier they are exposed to them. Community service can also help them carry out their obligations toward society. After receiving scholarships, or even just after getting the support of a community, individuals can give back to their communities through community service. They can give back and feel a sense of accomplishment. >>Even though the definition of community service has changed throughout the years, it is still vital to society. Community service encourages unity, improves to the community, and helps individuals with their future, their values, and their responsibilities towards society. Community Service should be a requirement to graduate at White Knoll High School, and throughout Lexington School District One. It has many benefits, and if initiated at an earlier age, can continue throughout life. Very good :)- waverly!

posted by - cali_03 Community service should e made mandatory for students in school because it makes them a part of their community and teaches the students responsibility. Community service is about being taught through the experience of it, and about being an environmentally responsible human (Source 2). Making the world a better place is one of the most important things that can be done as a person. All members of a community must contribute for the community to remain stable and to be able to grow (Source 2). If a person takes from the community and does not give back to it, it will not remain stable. If not for community service, some people wouldn’t realize that the community needs to be helped, or that they enjoy doing it. Younger people do not normally enjoy spending time with elderly people, but after community service at a nursing home or an assisted living facility, they may realize that they enjoy it (Source 3). A young teenager named John Prueter has chosen to pursue a interest in the career of nursing because of his community service with the elderly (Source 3). Helping out the people around you is what makes makes one a responsible person. Helping your community is easy to do, and it could be fun. It could help someone decide what career they may want to pursue. It is convenient for students because they would get a grade for the community service, which would be a easy grade, and they would learn from the experience. (Source 6).