COMMENTARY: Service should be a graduation requirement in every state

c. 1997 Religion News Service (Dale Hanson Bourke is author of Turn Toward the Wind and publisher of Religion News Service.) UNDATED _ The sun is just rising as we pull up in front of my son’s school. Dozing beside me in the front seat, he suddenly sits straight up.”Did we miss it? Are we […]

c. 1997 Religion News Service

(Dale Hanson Bourke is author of Turn Toward the Wind and publisher of Religion News Service.)

UNDATED _ The sun is just rising as we pull up in front of my son’s school. Dozing beside me in the front seat, he suddenly sits straight up.”Did we miss it? Are we late?”he asks anxiously, worried about losing a coveted seat on the van.


I assure him we have arrived in plenty of time as he gathers his books and sports equipment to stash in his locker before setting out on his morning adventure.”Thanks for bringing me early,”he offers with a sleepy grin and ambles off.

It is not a field trip that has motivated my son to get up so early, but a chance to serve breakfast at the local homeless shelter with other boys from his school. In Maryland, where we live, community service is a requirement for high school graduation. But my junior high son isn’t concerned about the credit, he just thinks it’s a cool thing to do.

That attitude is one of the many reasons most administrators, parents and students have embraced a once controversial program of compulsory community service in this state. Instead of being simply one more requirement for graduation, it has blossomed into a creative partnership that seems to bring out the best in schools and students.

Says Luke Frazier, executive director of the Maryland Student Service Alliance,”The greatest thing is to talk to students who thought it wasn’t fair and grumbled about the requirement but now have a completely different attitude after taking part in community service.” As part of the Maryland State Department of Education, Frazier’s office helps set standards, evaluate independent programs and educate new teachers and administrators about establishing service courses in their schools. With the growing popularity of such programs, Frazier’s office also serves as a clearinghouse for resources and information.

Maryland is the only state with a community service requirement, although some counties and municipalities have similar guidelines. Passed in 1992 by the Board of Education, the statute requires every public school student to complete 75 hours of community service, which includes preparation, action and reflection. Most local communities design their own programs, subject to state approval.

According to Frazier, the program has had an impact on teachers as well as students.”Teachers say it has revitalized their teaching,”he says.”The students start asking questions and looking for ways that lessons are relevant to their community service.” Most schools have developed independent programs that dovetail with specific subjects. For example, a civics class may discuss voting and then offer students the chance to volunteer with the League of Women Voters. And students studying Spanish can teach English as a second language or tutor younger, non-English-speaking students. An English class even took an assignment on story writing and turned it into a book for use in a Head Start program.

But most importantly, service programs make it easy for students like my son to get involved in their communities _ whether or not they seek credit. It’s even popular among my son’s friends to prepare for a confirmation or a bar or bat mitzvah by committing to community service in addition to their religious studies.


But can compulsory service change hearts? Some say forcing students to volunteer is more about servitude than service and perhaps some students feel that way, too.

When I was my son’s age, I was dragged (almost literally) to the local Salvation Army where I helped repair toys for needy children. My parents thought it was the right thing to do, although I didn’t make it easy for them.

But as an adult, I actually seek ways to serve _ not from a sense of obligation, but because I truly enjoy volunteering. I have finally come to appreciate my father’s words, which sounded hopelessly corny at the time:”Always remember what a privilege it is to give to others.” Through the service program, the state of Maryland is planting seeds in the lives of teens. And many already are demonstrating to parents, teachers and even politicians that giving to others is a privilege, not an obligation.

Eds: For more information about how Maryland’s program works, access their web site at http://sailor.lib.md.us/mssa, or call 410-767-0358.)

MJP END BOURKE

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