Seaman High School sponsors a Community Service Program that provides recognition to students who give service to others in the community by volunteering their time, free of charge, to individuals or organizations in the Topeka and the surrounding area. This is a voluntary program which helps students demonstrate responsibility, gives them work experience and also gives them an opportunity to experience making a contribution to the community. Many scholarships ask students to report "community involvement." Scholarship selection committees often look at community service participation when awarding scholarships. There are even some scholarships awarded solely on the basis of participating in community service!
Guidelines
- Students may provide volunteer services for a school, church, temple, community agency, group or individual.
- The following activities may NOT be counted as volunteer service:
• Assisting members of immediate family
• Attendance at a school-sponsored conference/workshop
• Attendance at club meetings, church, Scouts, etc. (HOWEVER, work done as part of such a group can count as community service)
• Participating in rehearsals or practicing for school musicals, debate/forensics, drama or athletic programs, activities, demonstrations, performances or contests
• Services performed at school or in the community as a result of disciplinary action.
- Situations not covered by the previously listed guidelines will be jointly agreed upon by the high school administration and community service coordinators.
Student responsibilities
- Seek out opportunities to volunteer
- In a timely manner, contact the appropriate person if you are unable to fulfill your volunteer duties
- Turn in signed and documented time sheets to Ms. Edmonds, the Community Service Coordinator
- Demonstrate responsible behavior, such as being on time, following directions, etc.
How to Qualify for Recognition
Students must complete a MINIMUM of 50 documented hours of community service completed during high school (beginning in the fall of their 9th-grade year) in order to qualify for recognition.
How Students will be Recognized
- All students who document and submit community service hours to Ms. Edmonds, the coordinator, will have the cumulative total number of hours recorded on their transcript.
- Students will be recognized in the following ways at the Academic Awards Night held each may for every 50 hours of community service that are documented and submitted to Ms. Edmonds
Students will receive certificates at the 50 and 100-hour levels.
Students will receive a pin at the 150+ hour level.
- Students who document and submit 300+ community service hours will have their name engraved and added to the "Honorable Mention - over 300 Hours" plaque in the commons.
- The senior with the most documented and submitted community service hours will have their name engraved and added to the "Most Volunteer Hours Accumulated by a Senior" plaque in the commons.
- After graduation, a student's diploma will be embossed with a "Community Service Award" stamp when a student has documented and submitted 150+ hours of community service.
Documenting Community Service Hours
In order to get credit for community service performed, students must submit documentation. That documentation can be a signed certificate or letter from the organization for whom the community service is performed. OR, students can submit a SHS Community Service Form.
The SHS Community Service Form is available by clicking the link below. It is a fillable-form PDF - that means you can type in your responses and print it out. Please be sure to have the form signed by someone who can verify the community service you've done.
Click here to access the community service form.
Volunteer Opportunities
The Volunteer Services department at Stormont-Vail Health Care is currently looking for students ages 13-18, interested in volunteering at the health center during the school year. Go to www.stormontvail.org/services/youth-volunteer-program to complete the application online. Click here for a FLYER with more info!
St. Francis Health center - Volunteers 13 yrs. of age and older. Also, offer Team volunteering (two students together) and Family (student & parent or grandparent). Orientations are held in September and February. Call 785-295-8127 for more information.
Goodwill Volunteer Program - Flexible hours and flexible training. 5515 SW 21st St. #C - 785-228-9774
Harvesters is now open every Tuesday from 1 - 8 PM. Saturday 9-4 for volunteers and on Friday mornings for school groups and corporate groups. I am the volunteer manager at Harvesters and we are now serving the Topeka area! It's a perfect field trip or community service opportunity for Topeka students! And, it makes a tremendous impact on feeding the hungry in the community.
215 SE Quincy - 785-861-7700.
There are a couple of websites volunteers can visit:
www.volunteerkansas.org - Use this website to search for volunteer opportunities by date, location, and type.
www.topeka.org/vpp - The city of Topeka's Volunteer Partnership Program's online service that matches groups or individuals needing assistance with residents who want to give back.
Questions? Concerns?
Please contact the Community Service Coordinator, Dawna Ross. She can be reached at 785-286-8300 ext.310 or at [email protected].