x2VOL Blog: Tracking Service Hours at your School

Reach out and expand your horizon this summer. Volunteering enriches the soul.

Students are consumed by their busy schedules, and they find it difficult to fit in anything extra. As summer strolls around, students are ready for their long-awaited break. Lounging around the house sounds like a dream. But, after a week of lounging, the enchantment wears off. In fact, it might become boring. Before we continue, let us be clear: We know there is nothing wrong with lazy days by the pool, spending time with the friends and family, and catching up on leisurely reading…and our favorite tv shows. 

Do you have student volunteers who are active in the community 100 or more hours? We think so, and that is why we encourage them to seek recognition and apply for The Presidential Award! Below, we have outlined everything you need to know about the award to share with your student volunteers!

What is the President's Volunteer Service Award?

 So, your student has an x2VOL account. Do not be stressed; it’s a good thing.

At its simplest, x2VOL helps keep track of your student’s volunteer hours. When they need to apply for a job or college, they can refer back to their account where their hours have been diligently noted.

What does a student do on x2VOL exactly?

• Search for local volunteer opportunities
• Record service hours
•  Receive approval/denial of service hours by school administrator
•   Print service transcript

 When looking for a place to volunteer, a student is probably interested in something familiar. While there is value in serving at the same place for a long period of time, it is also important for students to diversify their volunteer experiences.

The scholarship search can be challenging for students. We hope the following sites will help students with a place to start. Each site is structured differently and allows students to search based on a variety of criteria. Please share the sites below with high school students!

FastWeb

Fastweb members are matched to relevant scholarship opportunities completely free of charge. With roughly 1.5 million scholarships worth more than $3.4 billion, there are scholarships for every student’s educational goals, activities and interests. Members also get insider financial aid tips, advice on high school and college life, as well as job and internship matches in their area.

Service Programs vary in many ways. Many public schools and districts recognize students for their service to the community during graduation. Many private schools require service each semester or each year. Although they vary, there are service program challenges that every school faces at one time or another.