I just googled SSL and read a few websites about it.
Revolting.
What sort of Socialist Slave Labor have your kids been forced to participate in?
There are two types: pre-approved and approved. Basically, you can “volunteer” for any sort of business/job as long as it has a tax free/not for profit status. However, you cannot volunteer for any religious organization unless it serves all sorts of folks. My son has volunteered each summer to clean up a pond (under the supervision of a coordinator), volunteered at a senior living facility, and babysat younger kids at PTA meetings. My daughter has volunteered at the elementary school level watching kids during PTA meetings and had some hours given to her during her VP role in SGA. The trick (and yes.. there is a trick to it) is to start early... the summer before entering sixth grade. The trick is to contact the school’s SSl coordinator and make nice, too. Some of them won’t approve an idea and only approve those the county have pre-approved. Many of those activities are just plain nuts.. for example, IMHO, no middle school child should serve food at a homeless shelter due to some personal risk. They have actually had some horrible incidents during that type of activity.
What I found amazing is when all of this was first suggested. You would be amazed at how many parents (many that called themselves conservatives) that thought this was a good idea. When I asked what they felt if it was mandated for all adults.. well, the response was different. What amuses me somewhat is the state decided this was a good idea so that children learned about people who needed help. IMHO, it has done the opposite. I have heard some not so nice responses from teens who volunteered at soup kitchens and the overall response to nursing homes is that they would rather fly a plane into a barn then to get Alzheimers. I have not heard one positive comment from any of them and that includes numerous friends. It is essentially something to be done with gritted teeth.