Pros and Cons to Community Service

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Pros and Cons to Community Service In addition to academic excellence, unlike most other school districts, The Bethlehem Are School District requires sixty (60) hours of community service in order to graduate. This practice has been controversial since it was first instituted over two decades ago. In 1998 nearly 20 percent of the 50 largest school districts in the U.S required volunteer service, and nearly half provided the opportunity to earn an academic credit for community service, according to a study published the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Historically, community service requirements have been found in religious schools. Although the community service requirement is not popular in other Lehigh Valley school districts, nationally the trend is gaining some strength. One of the pros of doing community service is the natural good feeling one gets from helping others. Another benefit of doing community service is it gives students a taste of what the real practical world is like and can help students better prepare themselves for their own futures. The students are able to interact with people who they do not normally surround themselves with and learn how to deal with all kinds of people. One of the biggest pros is that community service opens up many new doors for a person. Today, outside of the required community service there are many groups that help encourage community service like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. The question remains if community service should be required for graduation. In 1999 a study found that students who were required to complete community service and felt controlled, were less likely to participate in community service in the future on his or her own. Another negative part of required community service is that today academics have become more competitive, and students are pulled in many directions and makes time for school. In

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