Class of 2014 is required volunteer hours in order to graduate.
Artwork by Mia Nogueira
The new school year brings changes for graduation requirements, including 10 volunteer hours per year beginning with the class of 2014. Freshman counselor Erin Thompson said, “Making volunteer hours a requirement will make students more well rounded by the time they reach senior year. Not only will they excel in academics, but they’ll help their community while trying to graduate.”
There are various types of volunteer activities available, from working with children to maintenance work at a park. Hundreds of ways to help communities can be found using general search methods, such as Volunteer Match and Metro Volunteers.
The website for Volunteer Match is http://www.volunteermatch.org/index.jsp and it lists different ways to help the community, such as being an English tutor to younger students or helping organize a toy drive.
Metro Volunteers offers a variety of projects specifically for students, such as after school childcare opportunities and group socials with elderly men and women. Other community services in the Denver Metro area can be found at http://www.metrovolunteers.org/
While those websites give broad ideas on what kinds of community service projects are out there, most companies and associations have their own websites where information on volunteer opportunities are accessible, such as Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Zoo, Denver Rescue Mission, Denver Audubon Society, and Denver Museum of Nature and Science, to name a few.
Denver Botanic Gardens gives students the chance to guide and play with children and families through the Mordecai Children’s Garden or lead small groups of students in educational activities related to plant structure, life cycle and diversity. More information on volunteering at the Denver Botanic Gardens can be found at http://www.botanicgardens.org/content/volunteer
While volunteering at the Denver Zoo, teens can expect to assist with at least one of the zoo’s special events by running activity centers, dressing up as a character greeter, or leading interpretive stations. Applications, available online from December through February each year, and more information can be found at http://www.denverzoo.org/involved/teenVolunteer.asp
During the year, the Denver Rescue Mission provides shelter, food, clothing, education, Christian teaching, and work discipline to meet individuals at their physical and spiritual points of need. Volunteers can help sort and distribute donations to individuals and families in the community or help care for babies and toddlers at Champa House. Visit http://www.denverrescuemission.org/vopps.html for more information on how to join the organization in reaching out and helping those in need.
The Audubon Society of Greater Denver protects the South Platte watershed and offers volunteers the opportunity to coordinate fundraising activities and field trips for young students. For more information on how to join the maintenance projects of this society, visit http://www.denveraudubon.com/volunteer.htm
Teen applicants interested in volunteering at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science can visit http://www.dmns.org/join/volunteering for information on how to join. Volunteers have different jobs from preparing reagents, stocking supplies or cleaning the experiment area.
TJ Freshman, Jasmin Lopez said, “I think requiring 10 volunteer hours a year will encourage students to participate in something they’d never find the will to do. Now that it’s necessary to graduate, more people will help the community. Volunteering at the Denver Zoo seems fun and entertaining; I’m going to do that for my community service.”
For more details on the volunteer requirements, please see Freshman Counselor Erin Thompson or e-mail her at Erin_Thompson@dpsk12.org
