Youth Programs: Service Learning in the Green Bay Area Public Schools

The Volunteer Center of Brown County works with the Green Bay Area Public Schools to help administer the service learning graduation requirement. Staff of the Volunteer Center go to each of the high schools every week to bring new information about volunteer opportunities available in the community, review documentation of service learning hours, and help connect students to volunteer opportunities that meet both your interests and graduation requirements. To find out when Volunteer Center staff will be coming to your school, contact the Career Coordinator at your High School.

What information do GBPS students need to know?

http://www.greenbay.k12.wi.us/01/parents01/service_learning.html

All students are required to complete 24 hours of service in our community. Students transferring into the Green Bay Area Public School District will have their hours prorated.

The following general questions help define the activities that meet the Green Bay Public School’s service learning requirement:

  1. Is the activity sponsored by a non-profit organization/agency? Does it have 501(c)3 status?
  2. Who benefits from the service?

The District is trying to move from a community service requirement to one where more students are doing service learning that is connected to the curriculum. Students can receive credit for classroom hours when they apply their learning to activities/projects in the community. These hours must be verified by the teacher and agency on the District’s “? Form, ”. Any hours submitted on green sheets will not be subject to the 12 hour in-school limitation.

President’s Service Award

Students completing 100 or more service hours within the year, are eligible for the President’s Service Award. https://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/

Award Recipients Receive:

  • Personalized Certificate
  • Lapel Pin
  • Letter from the President of the United States
  • Letter from the President's Council on Service & Civic Participation

The Career Coordinator at your Green Bay High School will nominate you for this award. All blue verification forms must be filed at the Career Center of your High School by May 1st to be eligible for this award. A recognition ceremony is held at the end of the school year at the Green Bay District Office Building, 200 S. Broadway, Green Bay.

How to Begin

  1. Use the “Verification of Service Project” forms linked below. Forms are also available in the Career Center of your Green Bay High School.
  2. Names of approved agencies, phone numbers and contact people are available at the Career Center.
  3. If an agency or activity is not already approved, contact the staff at the Volunteer Center at 429-9445.
  4. Complete the blue verification form and return to Career Center at your Green Bay High School. Be sure that you have all the required signatures are filled out, and that you have completed the Reflection Section on the back of the blue form.

What qualifies as service learning hours?

  1. The service is performed without a material or monetary reward.
  2. Prior approval is required if the agency/organization is not on the approved list. Call the Volunteer Center at 429-9445.
  3. The service cannot be performed for a family member or other individual.
  4. ervice may only be performed for nonprofit organizations.
  5. The activity cannot count toward the requirement if it involves participation in a worship service.
  6. The activity cannot advance nor can it inhibit religion.

Religious Activities

Activities that are part of a church community can be recorded if they reach out into the larger community. Some examples include food drives, activities for the elderly or children, mission trips that paint or repair buildings, etc.

  • Church picnics, festivals, and other fund-raising events will not be recorded.
  • Church camps will not be recorded.
  • General maintenance, yard work will not be recorded.
  • Students cannot use court referred hours to fulfill the requirement.
  • Activities related to public office or politics do not count toward the requirement.
  • Up to 12 hours may be completed within the school day during study halls and/or lunch hours.

    • In-School Hours

    Students may receive a maximum of 12 recorded hours for in-school activities. Students who want to document additional hours must do their own record keeping. While recognizing the benefit of volunteering for their school, the intent of the program is to get students into the community and deal with community needs.

    • Students who are assistants within the school setting (e.g. Library, student services, attendance, lab assistants, (those not receiving credit) etc.) will have a maximum of 12 in-school hours recorded.
    • Mentoring and Tutoring is considered part of the 12 hours. If hours are done outside the school day, they need to be recorded separately.
    • Unity fair, curriculum fair, etc. are considered in-school hours. Students can receive a maximum of 2 hours. (Students who document hours outside of the school day can receive up to the maximum of 12 in-school hours.)
    • Blood Drive is considered in-school hours. Students can receive a maximum of 2 hours. Students who document hours outside of the school day can receive hours beyond the 12-hour in-school requirement with proper documentation. One hour will be given for donating blood, this is part of the 12-hour in-school maximum.
    • Green House/FFA and School Store/DECCA - Students can earn up to 12 hours similar to what they do as a lab assistant. (this is a 12 hour in-school maximum so if they have met it in another activity, no additional hours will be recorded). If hours are spent outside the school day - the student would need to document that separately. The criteria will be that the student is able to identify who is the benefit of the service. Raising money for club activities will not be recorded, events for community agencies or to fill a community need will, but the student will have to identify that.
    • Credit can be granted for fundraising activities for worthy community causes, but fundraising for Green Bay High School clubs or organizations do not count toward the required credits.
    • Entertainment or performance activities that are an extension of a class or a co-curricular requirement cannot be considered for service credit. Rehearsal time does not count.
    • Comedy City, if the student is not getting paid and it is a benefit performance.
    • Community Performance groups, students who perform for a non-profit or for profit group can count their performance hours if there was not a charge for the performance or if the proceeds go towards a non-profit cause or agency. Practice hours are not recorded.
    • School Plays, no credit will be given unless it is taken to an outside group or agency.

    Extra-curricular

    • Graduation, juniors will be given hours to work as ushers, ticket takers, honor guard*.
    • Grad Night, if underclassmen help decorate, etc. they can be given credit.
    • Freshman orientation, sophomores, juniors and seniors will be given credit for assisting.
    • Sports Camps, students will have hours recorded with the correct documentation.
    • Prom, no credit will be given.
    • Students who are member of an athletic team do not receive service-learning hours.
    • Managers can, if they are not receiving a letter (then it is considered extra-curricular) receive hours. Statisticians, announcers, those who keep the clock can receive hours if they are not paid.

    * Hours are recorded above the 12-hour in-school restriction.

    City Sponsored Recreational Activities

    Students who assist with city sponsored recreational programs will be awarded hours. This is for assisting not being a participant.

    Day Care Centers/Long Term Care Facilities

    Students will be given credit for volunteering in a day care center, or long term care facility. In both institutions, the activity must benefit the resident or child. The only exception would be if it is a non-profit organization.

    Foreign Exchange Students

    If the student receives a diploma from a Green Bay high school they must complete six hours of service. If the student does not receive a Green Bay diploma, they would be encouraged to complete some hours, but it would not be required. That is consistent with other programs.

    Military

    Service Learning hours related to military activity will only be approved if it is an activity that reaches out into the community. Some examples of this would be Toys for Tots, or collections for military personnel or their families who have been called to active duty. Hours will NOT be given for office work or personal work for a recruiter.

    Special Education

    Students in special education are to meet the same requirements unless it is specified in their Individual Education Plan (IEP. The Volunteer Center can help with placements.

    Other

    • Charity and/or Community Run/Walk - students will be required to verify that they have solicited pledges or in some way contributed to the charity.
    • 30 hour famine, recorded with documentation from the sponsoring agency. In order to get the credit, students will need to document some action as a result of the experience.

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