TWIN VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL
SERVICE LEARNING GRADUATION REQUIREMENT

BASIC REQUIREMENT: Beginning with the class of 2007, all students will be required to complete 40 hours of service learning to receive a diploma from Twin Valley High School.

The requirement will be phased in as follows :

Class of 2007 10 hours
Class of 2008 20 hours
Class of 2009 30 hours
Class of 2010 40 hours

GENERAL DEFINITIONS AND GUIDELINES
Service learning activities are those which students perform to benefit at least one other unrelated person and for which they receive no compensation or academic credit. In most cases students will be working under the auspices of an organization (for example town government, school, non-profit organization, hospital, nursing home). Service to benefit for-profit businesses is NOT applied to the requirement.
Service may also be volunteer work done to benefit a worthy individual. A worthy individual can be a senior citizen, a neighbor who needs specific assistance, or a person with a serious illness or disability.
Service learning may be performed at any time during students’ high school careers, from the summer before freshman year until the last day of classes senior year. This includes free blocks at school (seniors with senior privilege may complete service learning off-campus during school time) as well as all non-school times and vacations within the freshman-to-senior time frame. Students are strongly encouraged to complete at least 10 hours of service each year.

... The service learning activity format is flexible. Students may elect to engage in a single activity or many over an extended or concentrated period of time. The 40-hour requirement will be prorated for students entering Twin Valley High School after the start of the freshmen year. Students must complete the equivalent of 5 hours of service learning for each semester that they attend Twin Valley High School.

SPECIFIC GUIDELINES

SERVICE FOR ACADEMIC CREDIT: Service learning for which students receive academic credit is NOT applied toward the 40-hour requirement.

SERVICE THROUGH THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM: Service learning which is assigned through the judicial system (e.g. court, diversion board) is NOT applied to the 40-hour requirement.

SERVICE THROUGH THE SCHOOL DISCIPLINARY SYSTEM: Service learning which is assigned through the school disciplinary system is NOT applied to the 40-hour requirement.

ORGANIZATION-BASED SERVICE: In general, service performed for profit-making organizations is NOT applicable, with the exception of service-oriented corporations such as hospitals and nursing homes.
SERVICE THROUGH RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS: Because of mandates requiring the separation of church and state, in order to be applicable, an activity may not be associated with the rituals, services, or ceremonies of any specific religion, proselytizing, or fund raising to support a specific religion or religious institution. Thus, participation in religious services (e.g. choir membership, altar service, reading from the Torah), while worthy endeavors, is NOT counted. However, non-religious activities that benefit the religious community (in non-financial ways) or the community at large, ARE applicable.

Examples of applicable religious-sponsored service activities include (but are not necessarily limited to)
... Baby sitting during religious services
... Painting church or synagogue buildings and classrooms
... Clothing drives
... Work in shelters
......Selling Christmas trees/wreaths or helping church or synagogue rummage sales is applicable only if the proceeds are used for charitable purposes and are not for the benefit of the sponsoring religious institution.
......Participation (as members or officers) in religious youth groups is NOT generally applicable unless the groups are organizing and/or performing specific service learning activities.

TRADITIONAL SCHOOL-SPONSORED ACTIVITIES: Activities performed, which are traditional after-school activities, are NOT applicable. Thus, participation (as officers or as members) in student government, marching band, national Honor Society, and clubs and teams are NOT applicable unless the groups are organizing and/or performing specific community service activities. Managing athletic teams falls under this traditional after-school activity category and is NOT applicable.

SERVICE THROUGH ADVISORY AND SCHOOL CLUBS: A student may receive credit for active participation in qualified advisory and school club service projects. To qualify, a project must have a specific service objective that would meet the basic guidelines for individual service learning projects.

CHARITY WALKS, BOWLATHONS, ETC.: For events such as charity walks and bowlathons that are designed to raise money for charitable causes, a student must raise a minimum of $50 for the cause to qualify for service learning credit. Students may earn a maximum of 3 hours credit per year for participation in any one such charity event.

PLANNING/PREPARATION VS PARTICIPATION: In general, service learning credit is limited to the time actually spent participating in the actual service activity. Time spent planning an activity or time spent traveling to and from an activity is generally not eligible for credit. Credit may be granted for planning/preparation in special cases where the student is primarily responsible for planning or preparing for an activity. For a student to receive credit for planning/preparation time, a request must be made to and approved in advance by the service learning coordinator.

EXCEPTIONS: If a student believes that they have a legitimate service-learning project that does not conform to the requirements and guidelines described above may submit a waiver request to the service learning coordinator. To qualify, waiver requests MUST be submitted prior to the beginning of the service learning activity.

DOCUMENTING SERVICE LEARNING: In order to receive service-learning credit, verification forms (signed by supervisor and student) MUST be completed and turned in to the student’s advisor, preferably within one month of the completion of the service. (Students attending WRCC should submit forms, via mail (TVHS, 1 School Street, Wilmington, VT 05363) or in person to the TVHS guidance secretary who will forward them to the appropriate advisor.)

...... a verification form must be completed for any and all activities for which the student wants to receive service learning credit
...... to receive credit, students must complete all parts of the verification form
...... forms must be submitted within three months of the completion of the service.
...... forms are available from advisors, the guidance office, and on line at

http://www.bbrodie.com/html/TVHSadvisory/serv.learnverification.html

RECORD REVIEW: Students will receive an annual review/summary of the total number of service learning hours that they have accumulated at the end of each semester. Any appeal regarding the number of service hours credited to the student at the end of a semester must be filed with the principal within one month of the end of the semester.

[Note: Much of the detail provided in this proposal has been taken from programs in place at Belmont (MA) High School and Brattleboro Union High School.]