Community Service in High Schools

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Community Service in Schools A community service requirement for graduation from learning establishments has been a hot and frequently debated subject. Educational Facilities are often a target of praise and criticism for what general education courses are required to graduate due to how beneficial the course is perceived to be to a student’s future. A required community service course is one of those courses. This course appears to have many people in favor of making a requirement, but tends to have just as many against it due to the skepticism of its benefits to students and their futures. There are a number of extracurricular clubs in schools that participate in programs that aid communities such as FBLA, National Honors Society, and also some sports teams because it broadens a student’s views, politically and culturally, but these clubs aren’t utilized by all students. Community Service, which many individuals won’t be exposed to at home, is beneficial to the social development of an individual and teaching them responsibility. It allows students to start having a relationship with the members of their communities and create bonds that could lead to professional relationships later on in life. Students learn to interact with a diverse population and can learn about the effects of how life choices can affect a individual’s future. “If you go out into the community and apply some of what you know...you'll be able to understand what you as citizens can do to make a difference to these problems, "says Ronald Peiffer, the assistant state superintendent of Maryland's schools. According to the ABA Journal, an estimated one million U.S. students are now either encouraged or required to perform some kind of community service before they graduate. Helping people less fortunate than oneself can help raise self-esteem and help a person realize their self-worth.

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