Student Community Service

Community Service Approval Process

Community Service Scholarships

What Counts as Community Service?

Remind

Focus

Bright Futures

The following information relates to the Department of Education's criteria for entering hours on your transcript for the Bright Futures Scholarship. This information will not cover all circumstances. If a question exists regarding the acceptance of an activity for community service, the student should obtain approval prior to the service. 

• Community service must be performed for an organization/agency outside of regular school hours. 

• Service may be performed for the school and/or the community. 

• See the list on the Student Community Service Opportunities section of this site for places to serve.

• All volunteer hours must be approved by a service supervisor to be counted on the transcript. Forms for recording hours must be completed online. 

• Consider what you're interested in and then pursue a long-term service commitment in that realm. Community service allows students to apply academic lessons in the real world and to fulfill your duties as young citizens by giving back to your communities. 

• If your club or group participates in a service project (beach clean up, car wash to raise funds, even if the funds you raise benefit your club) then you may count the time. 

• Float Building for Homecoming counts for community service.

• Activities on behalf of a candidate for public office.

• Fundraising activities for non-profit organizations or charities will count. 

• Hours spent coaching youth sports  will count. 

• Services performed at non-profit athletic or music camps for no financial compensation will count.

• Tutoring when sponsored by a community organization or performed at a school. Private tutoring DOES NOT count.

• All youth group or church activities.

• Participation in a club, sport, or school activity does NOT count as community service.

• Participation in Varsity or Junior Varsity Athletics and regularly scheduled arts area performances does not constitute volunteer service under this program. 

• A student's participation in practices, games, performances, competitions, etc. of the group DO NOT count.

• Attendance at conferences and competitions will not count as service. 

• Private tutoring DOES NOT count.

• Service performed as a result of disciplinary action taken by the school or courts cannot count. 

• If money was made at the event, it must be donated to a charity or it will not count as community service 

• Service may not be performed for a student’s family or for a profit-making organization, except for institutions like hospitals, nursing homes, or the humane society. 

• Membership on an athletic team, chorus or participating in the school play are considered school activities and do not meet the definition of service to the community. 

• Students may not be paid for service rendered. 

• Volunteer service involving academic requirements for a class will not count. 

• Service rendered, as a prerequisite for employment will not count.