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A red flag went up. I had a friend post that she needed an internship ASAP for her son. I was going to ask why, but I knew the answer. Still, I asked in hope of being wrong. Nope.
She and her son just realized he was grossly short on community service hours. And it’s those desperate hours that are so often grossly intertwined in not doing good for the sake of good – but doing good for the sake of an application.
THE REAL VALUE OF A COMMUNITY SERVICE HOUR
And even worse, this ill-conceived thinking starts in middle school. Like everything else associated with education, community service hours are counted, calculated and credited, as part of the omnipotent student record.
When you hear community service conversations, it usually concludes with “that will look good on the resume.” It’s sad, because students miss out on not embracing the wonderful sense of self-accompanying community service.
Even pre-COVID technology was smothering humanity while connecting us to totally impersonal networks. As the pandemic self-isolated billions of people, it has prompted millions to volunteer in many innovative ways — from making face masks to helping elderly neighbors with shopping to “taking them” to virtual concerts and even Pilates classes.
Despite the coronavirus, volunteering for others has continued to thrive as people find new means of connecting and giving their time and skills.
So again, here’s a teaching moment. Since parents start their kids on the college path in kindergarten, how about starting them on the authentic community service path as well. Guaranteed, this will allow them to see they can be virtually connected to the world in addition to connecting to and impacting their local community through human touch and interaction.
A MEDAL FOR CARING?
Community service is yet another medal we bestow on our kids. I love the serving but despise the mechanism. It needs to be rebuilt from the bottom-up so the student truly understands and values their potential experiences.
Students must be encouraged to engage in meaningful, sustained community service that is well structured, providing opportunities for reflection, both individually, with peers and adults.
Sadly enough, community service hours can be “gamed” everywhere. Cleaning your high school’s baseball field (for you) to play on, being one of twenty sitting at an adopt-a-pet center doing absolutely nothing, distributing t-shirts at an event, performing in a half-time show counts, but should it? Really?
THE CHECKLIST SYNDROME
This speaks to a much larger crisis affecting parents as well – the “checklist” syndrome.
That is where you make an appearance on Thanksgiving and Christmas at a homeless shelter or nursing home, check it off the list and you’re good until next year. When our kids see “one and done,” should we be surprised when they emulate the same formula?
Admissions officials have become more discerning, distinguishing the students with a real devotion to volunteering from those who merely dabble to pad their resume.
They become skeptical when they see an applicant who boasts a long list of one-time
“_____-athon” commitments. Instead of showing well roundedness, this type of scattershot volunteer record suggests the student has no real connection to what they’ve been doing.
What they really want to see is applicants rolling up their sleeves and getting their hands dirty. If a student isn’t truly committed, a college admission official is likely to catch on and label the applicant a “gamer.”
IS VOLUNTEERING EVER NOT VOLUNTEERING
Now comes the argument – But does it really matter why it’s done? Isn’t it enough to volunteer, no matter the motive? Some say yes, some say no. However, in my world it does matter.
We must get our kids to understand that real community hours are those that cause positive change. It is not a box that is checked off when a “task” is fulfilled.
Community Service isn’t about just showing up. It’s about students leaving their imprint and knowing that on some level they made a positive impact. And for that reason, I will award them community service hours.
This column is by Ritchie Lucas, Founder of The Student Success Project and Think Factory Consulting. He can be reached at 305-788-4105 or email at ritchie@thinkfactory.com and on Facebook and You Tube as The Student Success Project.
