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Your feel good act of serving Thanksgiving meals at a homeless shelter doesn’t count. Planning on where to do the same for Christmas doesn’t count either. Volunteering just on Christmas morning because you are Jewish – ditto. Volunteering three hours a year isn’t community service, it’s just self-serving.
The world is changing in a way that’s seemingly out of control. Tech has smothered humanity while connecting us to totally impersonal networks. Having our kids perform real service at a young age allows them to see they can be connected to the world without TikTok, Snapchat or Instagram.
And even worse is the inevitable question after my Student Success Project presentation, “what is the best community service my kid can do for their college app?”
WE WALKED THE WALK
When we had our ad agency, all employees were required to volunteer – on company, time and were paid. Through our charitable arm, The Piggy Bank Fund, everyone was given eight hours a month to volunteer anywhere they wanted. (If they wanted more we gave it to them – no questions asked.)
So I clearly get why students are required to perform community service. I’m just not a fan of the mechanism. It needs to be reworked so it is what it should be – more meaningful.
Community service hours can unfortunately be “found and justified” everywhere. Up to me, service hours would not be given for umpiring sports of any kind. Being a member of the marching band and performing at half time – just doesn’t count. A field cleanup for a field you’re playing on – bogus. Just distributing t-shirts at an event – no way.
Yes, we all know parents and students whose priority it is to ensure the route to college is paved with as many community service hours as possible, with no concern as to whether it’s even important.
SEEING RIGHT THROUGH IT
Admissions officials are incredibly savvy in discerning the students with a real devotion to volunteering as opposed to those not wanting to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty. Otherwise, it may be best not to bother. If a student isn’t truly committed, a college admission official knows it.
Similarly, these officials become skeptical when they see an applicant who boasts a long list of one-time commitments, from fundraisers and car washes to food drives and dance-a-thons.
Instead of showing well roundedness, this type of scattershot volunteer record suggests that the student has no real connection to what they’ve been doing. The same reasoning goes for students who participate in pricey overseas community service trips.
YES, IT DOES MATTER
Now comes the argument – does it really matter why it’s done? Isn’t it enough to volunteer, no matter the motive? Some say yes, some say no. Everyone should volunteer because not only is it good for you and your family, but more important – it’s great for others.
It’s also great for the almighty GPA. Volunteering can have an enormous impact on student numbers without having to take an insurmountable amount of AP or Honors courses. Students who volunteer have improved reading, math, science and history scores. Also, students who volunteer are 19 percent more likely to graduate from college than those that don’t.
We must get our kids to understand that real community hours cause positive change. It’s not a checkbox for a task fulfilled. Volunteering isn’t about just showing up. It’s about what you leave behind.
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.
