Posted on 12/30/2008 12:10:08 AM PST by buccaneer81
Many schools now require more hours of volunteering Students' service should be special Monday, December 29, 2008 3:09 AM By Jennifer Smith Richards THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
All do-gooding is not created equal.
Not for college admissions officers, anyway. And not for many high schools that require their students to fulfill community-service requirements before they graduate.
"I'm sure students are being told to pad their resumes or do stuff to get it on their applications for college," said Cass Johnson, director of admissions at Otterbein College in Westerville. "What I advise students is to -- rather than have this huge laundry list -- find a couple of things you are really passionate about."
The odd canned food drive or an occasional stint serving dinner in a shelter is nothing to turn up your nose at, admissions officers say. But students increasingly need to show that they'll devote more than an afternoon to a cause.
"Everybody doesn't have to go to a Third World country and build something to be impressive," said Mabel Freeman, who heads undergraduate admissions and first-year experiences at Ohio State University. But, she said, "It's amazing how many students are pre-med that show nothing in the way of community involvement in terms of volunteering at a hospital."
High schools are looking for ways to get students to find a cause they can stick with.
The Wellington School, a private school in Upper Arlington, used to have designated community-service days on which students were expected to pitch in on a volunteer project.
"We got away from doing that, because it was not mean- ingful to everyone," said Chris Robbins, who is the upper school's dean of students. "We encourage kids to pursue a variety of different service activities, because we want it to be meaningful."
Wellington doesn't require a specific number of volunteer hours. But it does have a teacher who identifies volunteer opportunities and encourages students to lend a hand.
At Columbus School for Girls, a Bexley private school, students are required to serve at least 60 hours before they graduate, and at least 10 hours per year as upper school students. A committee there spent a lot of time hashing out what would be considered "quality" volunteer experiences and what wouldn't.
"We will offer suggestions to students, but students really have to make their own choices about what they do. We will determine if something really does not constitute community service," said Veronica Leahy, who heads the English Department and is co-chairwoman of the service club. "The idea is to expose students to what is out there and hope that they will be inspired to return to some of these places to do further volunteer work."
Several public schools also require students to volunteer to graduate.
New Albany-Plain students need to log 25 hours. Hamilton schools will require students to complete 80 hours by 2010 (this year's grads must complete 60.) Westerville schools encourages all students in grades three through 12 to complete three hours. And lots of districts, including Bexley, make community-service activities part of class projects.
Of course, not all students are pitching in just to pad their resumes. Take Taylor Knore, a freshman at Pickerington North High School. She volunteers in a first-grade classroom at Fairfield Elementary, which is near her home, nearly every day.
Then, when she's done there, she heads down to the school's latchkey program and helps out with homework.
"I love little kids. They're so much fun, they're so cute and a bundle of joy. I love helping out," she said. "I'm sure it'll look good on my college application or something."
Fairfield Principal Ruth Stickel, who used to be the assistant principal at Taylor's middle school, is proud of the 14-year-old's attitude.
"She's only a freshman and she's giving up a lot of her after-school time. A lot of kids wouldn't do that," Stickel said. "She's just doing it because she wants to."
jsmithrichards@dispatch.com
It amounts to slavery, demanded by government.
And, what kind of volunteerism. Some people may say. "Great! Let's teach kids to volunteer!" But when the government assigns the projects, the tune may change. Any body here want their child to be forced to work at Planned Parenthood in order to get their high school diploma?
And please, save the "No way it will come to that..." rhetoric. Just look at the "values" of public schools over the past 25 years.
They could opt for the ACORN volunteer program instead.
“A committee there spent a lot of time hashing out what would be considered “quality” volunteer experiences and what wouldn’t. “
I’m thinking that walking precincts for a Republican probably doesn’t qualify. Or Christian missionary work.
If you apply to elite universities the admissions officers like to see volunteering. Helping out AIDS patients is at the top of the heap
LOL!
“Tutoring the children of lesbian marriages will.
Or being an usher at the Vagina Monologues”
We’re thinking pretty much along the same lines. I suspect BO’s mandatory child slavery initiative (I mean, BO’s entirely voluntary national service program) will pretty much follow the same guidelines.
I imagine some students take it as a wonderful opportunity and make it a lifelong habit.
I’m also betting that a far greater number develop a seriously cynical attitude to it and grow up thinking “giving back” is for suckers and become far less inclined to do so of their own volition as adults.
Recall the now-farcical college admissions essays requiring applicants to describe how underprivileged and deprived they were and what they had to overcome growing up? Just as in statist, socialist countries the attitude towards private charity is “I gave at the office” and that government is responsible to care for those less fortunate.
I’m all for schools providing volunteer opportunities but requiring it means it’s no longer “volunteering.”
Precisely. Offer. But don't require.
Remember, though, private charity has been stained by shysters like the United Way.
Yes, I wrote just such an admission essay and was rewarded for it. You might not know it from the quick notes I jot down on FR, but when I put my mind to it I can write a fairly moving essay.
We will determine if something really does not constitute community service," said Veronica Leahy, who heads the English Department and is co-chairwoman of the service club.
Right. Or, rather, will nothing Right, just Left, meet the standards?
I wondered at the time about the group of girls recently caught abusing patients at a nursing home, whether that was some of this forced labor.
Lemme’ tell you about the day my dog got run over...
Lemme’ tell you about my parents divorce...
Lemme’ tell you about how I was bullied in gym class...
Ooh! Ooh! And lemme’ tell you about what it was like growing up biracial and how the black kids called me “chink” in 5th grade and, and, Ummm, maybe I’d better rework that last part...
When did you guys apply for college? My grades and my extracurriculars of Varsity Hockey, Varsity Baseball and Debate got me in. That and 1250 on the SATs.
I agree so i wrote that broad a letter.
Hello,
I read your article on children and forced volunteering during and after school and i am not sure the school districts realize what they are doing could be considered unconstitutional and illegal per the child labor laws. It borders on forced labor since they are not paid for their time. It most certainly is labor and unless the students are compensated it is wrong, Like slaves they are forced into these types of situations.
It is no wonder our school systems are near the bottom of ladder due to not studying enough and lousy teachers. Now we take away even more time from that in some cases and have forced child labor. Come to think of it forcing a child to do these types of labor is illegal! I know the liberal side of the aisle will most certainly agree with me because they are all for full freedom in education and hours after education. The right side of the aisle would certainly support my opinions because they are for enforcing laws. I think it is time the state look into violations of the law when it comes this type of forced labor.
I certainly do not want to hear about it for their own good, it is a teaching tool or it helps the community. So did slavery before the Civil War (The Northern War of Aggression).
Excellent!
The issue is not just getting in; getting the money is the other half of the equation. Some people get their entire college career subsidized by their parents, that certainly wasn’t going to happen for me so I needed a scholarship or two to get by. Anyway, it worked well enough, I received enough funding that I never had to take out any student loans and consequently left college debt-free.
“Many schools now require more hours of volunteering”
Oxy
Moron
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