x2VOL Blog: Tracking Service Hours at your School

Guest post courtesy of x2VOL Partner, Parchment

 Preparing K-12 Students For Future Opportunities

Theoretically, the available options for secondary school graduates are the same as they’ve ever been. Students have the choice of going to college or entering the workforce. In reality, however, the steps involved have become much more complicated. Businesses want more skilled workers, and schools want more robust students. Both institutions ask for proof that incoming students and new hires can meet these demands.

The semester is coming to a close and will be over before you know it! Along with finals, graduation prep and standardized testing, it's also the time to wrap up organizing and reporting on your students' volunteer hours in x2VOL and start preparing for the fall. 

Get started now and get ahead of the game. Follow these x2VOL end of school year best practices and make your job and life that much easier. 

Guest post courtesy of SignUpGenius

Preparing for college can feel like a daunting task for both students and parents. No matter where you are in the timeline — from starting your first college tour list to packing for the first semester move — we have tips that will help simplify the process.

Every month we are highlighting a different school who's students are engaged and active in serving their communities. 

Going digital is an ongoing trend. Society has turned to the internet to do every day things such as paying bills online, shopping online, completing school work online or even tracking community service hours online. 

It's a topic that is always discussed - preventing falsification of service hours. Paper forms and physical signatures make falsification tempting to many students in public and private schools. We'd like to believe that it's a rare occurrence but many service leaders know who they need to double check. 

Students nationwide are spending their time serving their communities and volunteering for organizations they are passionate about. 

With the new school year underway, now is the time for students to start deciding which universities to apply to. Students may be wondering “How can I make my application stand-out from other applicants?” Leveraging community service experiences is a great way to stand out from the competition. It showcases the student’s leadership, compassion, and a commitment to making a positive impact. 

College admissions officers look at more than just grades and test scores when evaluating who they accept into their universities. They want to have an in-depth look of who the student is apart from the numbers behind their name. They want to know the student's personality, their interests, their passions and if they will be a positive addition to the university's campus life.  

College admissions officers are looking for: 

Spring break is the perfect time of year to lay by the beach, go on a trip, hang out with friends or volunteer at your local nonprofit organization or help someone in need. The days you have off during spring break are a great time to get plugged in to the community, make a difference in someone else's life and knock out some of your service hours for the year,

There are a number of elements that go into creating a successful service learning program in your school! It can be challenging to engage students and inspire them to get out into the community and serve those around them.