Piedmont High School : Achieve the Honorable

Community Service

Community Service Forms

Questions regarding Community Service should be directed to phscommunityservice@gmail.com

Community Service Policy

Our goal in encouraging Community Service is to motivate and teach students about the character-building rewards of giving back to the larger community. Community service is not a PHS graduation requirement. However, many students perform acts of service, and consider it an important part of their social and academic development. Studies have shown that it builds empathy and teamwork, increases social awareness and academic motivation, fosters problem-solving skills, and provides exposure to potential career opportunities.

We have established that there are two types of community service; both have their place and we wish to acknowledge each type for what it is.

Community Service Beyond PHS –This is serving the community outside the high school. This type of community service would be credited hour for hour, up to a maximum of 8 hours per day and 50 hours per week (with some limitations – see the FAQs).  Examples:

This would also include volunteering in Piedmont but beyond the high school community. Some examples are:

Some limitations on service credit beyond the high school are:

Community Service at PHS –Credit for community service performed at the high school is capped at 25 hours per semester. This equates to about 1.5 hours per week. ANY HOURS (whether with one activity or many) AT PHS WILL BE CAPPED AT A TOTAL OF 25 HOURS PER SEMESTER, even if the student has volunteered more than 25 hours. Examples:

Some limitations on credit for service at the high school are:

Community Service FAQs

How does community service differ from what is required for the PHS Honors Society?

The PHS Honors Society is implemented under the office of the Principal. Any questions regarding the Community Service aspect of the Honors Society are governed by the College & Career Center policy. You should refer to PHS website, PHS school planner or contact Principal Randall Booker for any other questions (e.g. academic) regarding the Honors Society. Submit all your community service forms to the College & Career Center.

In general, what qualifies for PHS Community Service credit?

Services that qualify are generally those that are unpaid and performed at or for a nonprofit organization. The organization should be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and/or a service entity affiliated with a city/government body or a civic organization (e.g., public library, city senior service center, or political campaign). Services performed outside of an organization are not allowed (for example, if you do beach cleanup on your own you cannot receive credit, but the same activity done through a nonprofit organization would qualify). The College Center has a binder of “Pre-Approved Organizations,” or you may submit a “Request for Approval” green form for agencies not listed in the binder.  “Request for Approval” forms can be found in the College Center or online, and must be submitted by April 1. You may receive credit for working at your parent’s place of employment, as long as it is a nonprofit, you are not being paid, and you are under the direct supervision of someone other than your parent. Working for a political campaign or at your place of worship also qualifies as community service, as long as you are not being paid and are not receiving class credit or “double-dipping.”

How do I keep track of my hours?

Every time you perform community service, fill out a blue form, describe the organization, what you did, list the dates and times of service, and have it signed by your supervisor. You must submit forms by May 1st each year to get credit during that school year, although you are encouraged to submit them as soon as you have completed your service. On a case-by-case basis, we may give credit for hours performed in previous years (as long as the form is properly filled out), but hours for Honors Society must be performed and submitted between May 2 of the previous year and May 1 of the academic year. The honor system applies to hours submitted, and only actual hours spent in service should be indicated on the form.  We reserve the right to review and allow/disallow hours claimed, depending on the activity described. Extensive hours for “preparation” and “training” before the actual service will be limited.

What is “double-dipping”?

If your activity was done as part of another requirement (e.g. Scout advancement, National Charity League required hours, a class assignment, or to satisfy terms of probation), you cannot also receive PHS community service credit. Community service hours beyond what is required to complete a merit badge or for NCL requirements can be submitted to the College Center for credit.

Who should sign my form?

The group leader or supervisor should sign your form. It should NEVER be signed by your parent. If you are doing a community service event abroad with your family and there are no other adults, you need to have pre-approval to receive any hours of community service credit.

My teacher asked me to take notes in class to help another student. Can I get community service credit for that?

Yes, you can get limited credit – no more than one and one half hours of credit per week, maximum 25 hours per semester.

I love sports. What kinds of sports-related activities can I get credit for?

You are encouraged to serve as volunteer coaches and assistants for sports activities in disadvantaged communities or with organizations like the Special Olympics. Within Piedmont, you can receive credit for service to Piedmont Recreation Department sports and PMS sports teams if you are not paid. You may not receive credit for any participation related to playing for a PHS team.

What about writing articles for a newspaper?

Though newspapers are not nonprofits, you can receive community service credit if your work is not part of a class and you are not being paid. This would include work for the Oakland Tribune or the Piedmont Post.

I want to volunteer as a T.A. at PHS or PMS during my free period or after school. Can I get credit for that?

Yes, you can get credit for up to 25 hours a semester, as long as it is not considered an elective class and you are strictly volunteering for no class credit.

I fostered a dog/cat, or socialized a dog for a nonprofit organization. What kind of credit can I get?

You can get up to 25 hours per semester for this type of service. This activity is very difficult to quantify so we’ve decided to limit the credit for it.

I volunteered at a non-profit camp or I worked at an overnight non-profit retreat and was working constantly. I barely slept. Can I claim all this time?

Sorry, but even if you worked almost all day and night and barely slept, you will be limited to a maximum of 8 hours a day. In addition, credit for working as a volunteer is limited to 50 hours a week. The church trip to Mexico is an exception because it involves work beyond just the 6 days of the trip. Remember, if you are being paid for your work, you may not receive any community service credit.

How does PHS recognize high levels of community service?

In addition, seniors who have performed exemplary service at PHS may receive awards from the departments they helped (e.g. Drama, Music) and seniors with a particularly outstanding record of service may also be eligible for several scholarships and awards to be determined by the PHS Counseling Department.