ServiceLearning StudentVolunteerServiceProgram ThepurposeoftheServiceLearningGraduationRequirementandtheStudent VolunteerServiceProgramistoacquainthighschoolstudentswiththeneedtobecome participating agents of change by providing service to both their school and community.

d community. ServiceLearningisdefinedas: Aneducationalmethodbywhichparticipantslearnanddevelopthroughactive participationinservicethatisconductedinandmeetstheneedsofacommunity. Servicelearningiscoordinatedwithaschoolorcommunityserviceprogramandwith thecommunity.Itisintegratedintoandinfluencesthelifelonglearningofaparticipant andincludesstructuredtimefortheparticipantstoreflectontheserviceexperience. Servicelearningteachestheskillsofcivilparticipationanddevelopsanethicofservice andcivicresponsibility.Studentscanprovideserviceinthecommunityonavoluntary basis to public, nonprofit agencies, civic, charitable and governmental organizations andschoolcampuses. ServiceLearningandVolunteerServiceProgramisdividedintothreetiers. TierI ServiceLearningHoursrequiredforgraduation. TierII ServicehoursrequiredtomeettheBrightFuturesInitialEligibility Requirements. TierIII VolunteerServiceHoursrequiredearnasilvercordatgraduation. CommunityServiceApprovalForm ThisformisavailablefromtheStudentVolunteerServiceProgramCoordinatorand shouldbefilledoutcompletelyandsubmittedpriortoundertakinganyservicethatis notdirectlyconnectedorsponsoredbywithaschoolrecognizedclubororganization. (Thisformcanbedownloadedfromthiswebsite)Bysubmittingthisforminadvancea studentcandetermineifanactivitywillcountbeforeundertakingthatactivity. Astudentdoesnotneedthisformifhe/sheisparticipatinginaserviceactivity undertaken by a schoolsponsored club, class or organization of which he/she is a member. Pleasenote,howeverthatnotallprojectsundertaken byschoolclubsand organizations count for service hours. There are instances in which Community

 ServiceApprovalFormmustbeturnedinbeforeservicehourswillbeacceptedby theschool. 1 TierI TheServiceLearning GraduationRequirement Communityinvolvementiscriticaltosuccessineducation.Studentparticipationin communityserviceactivitiesbuildsanawarenessofsocietyandaconnectionbetween classroomandrealworldissues.ServiceLearningisamethodthroughwhichstudents learnaboutanddevelopacommitmenttoaddressingneedsintheircommunities. ServiceLearninghours,asagraduationrequirement,providestudentswiththe opportunitytodevelopalonglastingsenseofresponsibilitytosociety. Students, who wish to earn a Standard Diploma, must meet the graduation requirement of 40 documented service learning hours. Students should be encouragedtousetheirservicelearningexperiencesasdiscussionorwrittentopics wheneverappropriateasapartofclassassignments. Tier140Hours GuidelinesSpecifictothe40Hour ServiceLearningRequirement 1. AllhighschoolstudentsseekingaStandardDiplomaarerequiredto participateintheprogram. 2. Serviceperformedoverthesummerorperformedaspartofanorganizationthat isnotaschoolsponsoredclubororganizationmustmeetServiceLearning GuidelinestoearnServiceLearninghours. 3. AllServiceLearningHoursmustbedocumentedontheVolunteerService RecordLogSheet.LogSheetscanbedownloadedfromthiswebsite.LogSheets mustbereturnedtotheServiceLearningCoordinator.Studentsmustretaina copyofthisformfortheirrecords.StudentsmaystartearningServiceLearning Hoursassoonastheyarepromotedtoninthgrade. TierII75Hours FloridaAcademicScholars(partofthe FloridaBrightFuturesScholarships) VolunteerServiceisoneofthequalificationsfortheFloridaBrightFuturesScholarship Program.ThesehourscouldincludeacombinationoftheServiceLearningrequired hoursandhoursearnedfortheStudentVolunteerServiceProgram.

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HoursearnedaspartoftheStudentVolunteerServiceProgrammustbe documentedontheVolunteerServiceRecordLogSheetandmustcomplywith rulesofthatprogram. Thestudentmustgivecopiesofthelogsheetsrequiredtoverifyservicehoursfor theFloridaBrightFuturesScholarsProgramScholarshiptohis/herguidance counselor. ThenumberofhoursrequiredtoqualifyforeachoftheFloridaBrightFutures ScholarshipProgramsareasfollows: 2 GoldSealVocationalScholars30hours(Thisrequirementwillbemetby BrowardCountys40hourgraduationrequirement) FloridaMedallionScholars75hours FloridaAcademicScholars100hours TierIII TheStudentVolunteerServiceProgram

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Allstudentswhohaveearnedatotalof250VolunteerServiceHoursmayreceivea silvercordtowearatcommencement.Anadjustmenttothe250totalhoursrequiredto receiveasilvercordshouldbemadeforstudentswhoentertheBrowardCountyPublic Schoolsaftertheirfreshmenyear. TheVolunteerServiceRecordLogSheet HoursearnedaspartoftheStudentVolunteerServiceProgrammustbedocumented on theVolunteerServiceRecordLogSheet.TheseformsmustbesubmittedtotheStudent VolunteerServiceProgramCoordinator.StudentsshouldturninServiceRecords regularlyandshouldkeepaduplicatecopyofallformsfortheirrecords. TierIII250Hours Guidelinesspecifictothe SilverCordProgram GeneralGuidelinesforTheStudentVolunteerServiceProgram AllservicesmustcomplywiththepoliciesoftheSchoolBoardofBroward County,Florida. Studentvolunteerservicehoursmaybeearnedinboththeschoolandorthe

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community Servicesforwhichastudentoranorganizationthatastudentbelongsto receivesfinancial/orothersubstantialcompensationwillnotbecounted.This wouldincluderevenuesfromticketsalesordonations.Forexample,participation inacarwashsponsoredbyaclubwouldnotcountascommunityservice.An exceptiontothisguidelinewouldbeiftheorganizationisdonatingtheprofits (lessexpenses)toabonafidecharity.Anotherexample,theschoolchorusputsona performanceatwhichadmissionischargedandalloftheproceedslessthecostof cleaningtheiruniformsisdonatedtoacharitableorganization.Volunteerservice thatisapriorconditiontoemploymentwillnotcount. Participationinandtraveltotheatricalmusicalperformances,festivalsor communityeventswillcountasservicehoursifboth(a)and(b)belowaremet: A. B. Theperformancemeetsanidentifiedcommunityserviceneed.

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Theperformanceisnotafundraiserfortheorganizationnorthestudentis paid,orreceivesacademiccredit.Forexample,studentsparticipatingin 3 theFloridaYouthOrchestraorschoolbands/orchestrasmayreceive hoursforperformingataretirementhome,charitableandciviceventsor foranonprofitagency. Astudentmayearnvolunteerhoursbyhelpingataneventorperformanceat whichadmissionischargedoradonationcollected,providingthatthestudentis not a member of the organization benefiting from the event. For example, a student,whoisnotamemberoftheDramaClub,mayvolunteertousherand collectticketsatadramaclubproductionandearnservicelearninghours. Rehearsalandpracticetimewillcountforvolunteerserviceprojectstobe performedorconductedspecificallytomeetacommunityserviceneed. Servicelearninghoursdocumentedforcommunityserviceaspartofnoncredit grantingworkshops,programsorconferenceswillcountasvolunteerservice. Fundraisingactivitiesfornonprofitcharitieswillcountasvolunteerservice hoursaslongastheactivitycomplieswithBrowardCountySchoolBoardPolicies 6206and6208andprovidingthestudentisnotvolunteeringforanorganization thatbenefitstheschool(i.e.aboosterclubfundraiser).Forexample,ahighschool studentgovernmentmayholdacandysaleanddonatealloftheprofitstothe MiamiProjecttoCureParalysis.However,theconductoftheprojectincluding depositingthemoneyintheschoolaccountmustbeinaccordancewithSchool Boardpolicies.Servicehoursmaynotbeearnedbasedontheamountoffunds raisedorproductssold. Volunteeringateventsorprogramssponsoredbygovernmentalagencieswill

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 10. Activitiesorganizedbyprofitmakingornonprofitorganizationstoaddressa communityserviceneedwillcountasvolunteerservicehours. 11. Servicesperformedfordaycarecenters,retirementhomes,andanimalhospitals countforvolunteerhours.Astudentmayearnservicehoursbyvolunteeringwith adoctor,lawyerordentistonlywhenprobonoworkisbeingperformed.For example,ifadoctorvolunteerstogivephysicalexaminationstoschoolathletes,a studentmayassistandearnservicehours. 12. Serviceperformedonstaffatnonprofitathleticormusiccampsfornofinancial compensationwillcountasvolunteerserviceshours. 13. Timeoutofclassmaynotbeusedforhours,howeveramaximumoffive(5) volunteerhoursperweekcanbeearnedbyparticipationinanorganized, supervisedandapprovedpeertutoringprograminwhichthetutoringtakesplace when school is in session. However, thetutoringsessionscannottakeplace duringanyofthetutorsacademicclasses. 4 14. Servicehourswillbeawardedforstudentsvolunteeringonpoliticalandissue campaigns.Toreceiveservicehours,astudentcannotbepaidforworkingonthe politicalcampaign.Astudentisnoteligibletoreceiveservicelearninghoursfor volunteeringonthepoliticalcampaignofaschoolboardemployeeorinschool boardelections.Studentsarenoteligibletoreceiveservicelearninghoursfor campaigningorbeingengagedinpoliticalactivitiesduringtheschooldayandon schoolcampuses. 15. Studentsmayreceivevolunteerhoursforhelpingatreligiousinstitutionsas longasthosehoursdonotincludeparticipationinareligiousservice,teaching religionorproselytizing.Forexample,astudentisnoteligibleforservicelearning teaching Sunday school, singing in the choir or serving as an altar server. Howeverastudentmayreceiveservicehoursforassistinginlandscaping,clean updaysorvolunteeringinthedaycarecenter.Inaddition,studentsservingas teen aides (i.e. copying materials, walking kids to bathrooms, assisting with supervision)areeligibleforservicelearningcreditaslongasthestudentisnot teachingreligiousstudies. 16. Ingeneral,servicerendereddirectlytoaforprofitinstitutionororganizationwill not count. Volunteering ataForProfitsummer campdoes notqualify for servicelearning. Pleasenotethatthecollectionofafeedoesnotdeterminethe

count.Forexample,studentsservingasanusheratpublicinstitutionssuchasthe BrowardCenterforthePerformingArtsorCoralSpringsCityCenterareeligible toreceiveservicelearninghours.

 17. ServiceLearningHoursshallnotbegrantedtostudentswhovolunteeratfor profitsummercamps.Studentswhovolunteeratgovernmentalsponsoredornot forprofitsummercampsshallbeeligibletoreceiveServiceLearningHoursfor theirwork. 18. Serviceforastudentsfamilyorfamilybusinesswillnotcount. 19. Serviceperformedastheresultofdisciplinaryactiontakenbytheschoolorthe courtswillnotcount. 20. Participationincampusorcompetitiveactivitiessuchasathletics,plays,debate meets,etc.willnotcount. 21. Serviceperformedasanacademicrequirement,otherthanthatperformedas partoftheapprovedvolunteerservicelearningcourseswillnotcount. 22. Babysitting,orsimilarservices,performedforanindividualfamily,willnot count.Babysittingservicesforschoolrelatedactivitieswillcount. 23. Volunteerhoursmaynotbecertifiedbyafamilymemberorfellowstudent 24. Servicehourswillnotbeawardedforanyinkindormonetarydonationsofany kindincludingcannedfoodcollections,toycollections,etc.Forexample,aservice hourvaluecannotbeestablishedforthedonationofaspecificnumberofcansof food. Thetimespentcollectingthecansoffood(aslongasitdoesnotoccur duringtheschoolday)cancount. 5 25. Thenumberofservicehoursthatareearnedcannotbedoubledorinanyway increasedbyanyagencyorschoolforstudentparticipationinaspecificproject. Agenciesfoundtobepracticingthedoublingofhourswillberemovedfromthe listofthoseagenciesapprovedbytheprograms. 26. Participationinselfimprovementworkshops,clinics,conferencesor conventionswillnotcountforvolunteerhours.Ifworkshops,clinics,etc.havea specificservicecomponent,thehoursspentonthatactivitycancount. 27. Hoursspenthelpingothers(notfamilymembers)indisasterpreparationsor cleanupmaycount.InthisinstancethePriorApprovalformmaybewaived.A letterfromtheparentorguardianindicatingthatthevolunteerservicewas performedwiththeirpermissionmustbesubmittedwiththelogsheet.For example,studentsvolunteeringtheirtimetoassistneighborsinputtingupand takingdownhurricaneshutterswillcounttowardsservicelearning.

NotForProfitstatus.TheStateofFloridaissuesa501(c)(3)certificatetoNon Profitorganizations.

 28. Astudentmayreceiveservicehourscreditforthetimedonatingbloodatanoff campusfacilityorafterschool.Donationofbloodduringthestudentsschoolday doesnotqualifyforservicelearning.However,astudentwhodonatesbloodata church/synagogueblooddriveiseligibleforservicelearningcredit. AppealsProcess IfastudentsvolunteerhourshavebeendeniedbytheschoolbasedStudent VolunteerServiceCoordinatorthestudentmayappealthatdecisiontothe DepartmentofStudentActivitiesandAthletics.Theappealmustbeinwritingand acopyoftheLogSheetreferencingthehoursinquestionmustbeattached.The lettermustcontainatelephonenumberandaddressatwhichthepartyinitiatingthe appealcanbereached.