Should high school students be forced to volunteer? (Our Turn column)

Kalamazoo Gazette staff By Kalamazoo Gazette staff The Kalamazoo Gazette
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on August 13, 2011 at 7:37 AM

Emma Caldwell.jpgEmma Caldwell

By Emma Caldwell

High school is not just preparation for college. In fact, many students leave high school with no intention of going to college. Some join the military and others already have job prospects to pursue.

While preparing you for the future, high school is where you learn exactly what it means to be a good citizen. A major component of being a good citizen is interaction with your community. One of the most common ways of involving young adults in community activities is through volunteerism. In order to truly complete the education the public school system promises, high school students should spend time volunteering in their community.

"Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It's important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It's the way in which we ourselves grow and develop," said Dr. Dorothy Height, president and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women. What Height says is undeniably true, and it needs to begin in our educational system.

People who volunteer at an age where social interaction is essential, high school, will carry this message with them through life. The life lesson of service is just as important in "the real world" we teenagers so often hear about as that "A" on our last calculus exam.

Making community service a requirement ensures students will at least spend the minimum time volunteering in their community. If at least a third of these students are able to grasp the importance of community service, then they can take that skill and apply it not only to their professional lives but also to the general well being of their communities. If these same students use the lessons they learned from volunteering, they could solve many of today's economic and social problems.

By requiring students to do community service in high school, we are not only ensuring good and informed citizens, but also a better economic and social climate.

Emma Caldwell is a senior at Gull Lake High School.

Rachael LeFevre.jpgRachael LeFevre

By Rachael LeFevre

If you haven't played Wii with a couple of 80-year-olds, you're missing out. Each week, my best friend and I hang out with senior citizens. Volunteering at a retirement village provides us with a great opportunity to meet new people and enrich the lives of the people we meet.

We have learned so much from talking with senior citizens, and we are blessed to have this opportunity to reach out to those in our community. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing the faces of the elderly light up when you walk into the room.

Though my school only requires a minimum of 10 community service hours freshman year, I have continued to volunteer throughout high school. While our initial 10-hour requirement is a good start, schools should require more volunteer hours. Volunteering offers students an irreplaceable way to help their community and expand their knowledge of the world.

Some believe that forcing students to volunteer is defeating the purpose of volunteering because it's not volunteering if you are required to do it. However, sometimes students need an extra push to reach out in their communities. While some students aren't initially interested in volunteering, requiring community service hours would force them to participate in community-outreach projects.

Besides teaching valuable life skills, volunteering may lead to a part-time job opportunity. If students prove their dependability and hard work ethic while volunteering, employers may take that into consideration and offer them a job. My best friend got her summer job after volunteering several summers at the Boy Scout camp. Because of her experience acquired through volunteering, she was able to get a job much more easily.

Volunteering offers countless benefits for teenagers. Besides making a difference in people's lives, students develop communication skills and acceptance of others. Additionally, reaching out to others less fortunate teaches us to be grateful for what we have. Overall, volunteering is an extremely rewarding activity which should be required.

Rachael LeFevre is a senior at Portage Central High School.

Olivia Reed.jpgOlivia Reed

By Olivia Reed

Every spring students at my school start to hear reminders for seniors to turn in their community service hours in order to graduate. At the same time, students also hear seniors complain about how it is unfair for them to be required to volunteer.

However, high schools should have a certain number of community service hours students have to complete before graduation. Volunteering promotes leadership and awareness as students take an active role in their communities.

Requiring community service allows schools to help students become more educated in how they can help others and the impact they can have. Having students volunteer gives them a better understanding of how many people need help in their own communities.

In the news, kids hear about struggling families, but may never realize there are families in their own neighborhoods who need assistance. Through community service, students get hands-on experience at an early age about how they can improve society and the lives of others.

Some students may not know what they can do or where to go to volunteer. With the school involved, there are often announcements about opportunities for students to complete their community service. It makes the task of helping others more fun when kids can sign up to volunteer with their friends. Having students volunteer makes it easier for them to have an opportunity to be leaders and make a difference.

Volunteering also improves leadership skills. When students volunteer, they can gain real skills they can use in their jobs. That advantage could help make them leaders when they go on to college and then to work. Helping students develop these traits now sets them up to become leaders for the rest of their lives.

When students are doing community service, they are benefitting the public. Even though students may not be willing participants, the hope is that by having students help the community, they become volunteers and make a difference.

Olivia Reed is a senior at Plainwell High School.
