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Put down the sponge, help the homeless
Tampa Freshmen seeking Bright Futures service projects can't rely on carwashes.
By LETITIA STEIN Times Staff Writer
Published September 21, 2007
Which of the following sounds like a community service project to you? A A carwash for a high school service club. B) Filing papers for mom or dad at work. C) Learning about elder care issues by volunteering at an assisted living center. This year's freshmen are about to learn the answer: C. They are the first class affected by changes to the district's guidelines for the community service requirement of the Bright Futures Scholarship. "We want to make sure it is community-based, and they are actually going back and learning something from the experience," said Sherryne Scriven, a guidance specialist at Blake High School. In so doing, school officials drew a clear line between three commonly confused activities: community service, internships and volunteering. The carwash for a school club or a church? That's considered volunteering, which is good to do, but it isn't enough for Bright Futures. Community service projects, according to the district's definition, start with identifying an issue of concern, such as poverty or abuse, and devising a project to address it. Similarly, helping out at a parent's workplace may be a valuable internship experience, but it's not a community service project. Under the district's guidelines, students can log hours by working for an agency dedicated to their issue of choice, such as a homeless shelter. Once completed, they must write their thoughts on the experience. "It's teaching kids to plan responsibly and always to look back and evaluate what you got out of it," said Jan Mazur, an assistant principal at Jefferson High and former head of the school's guidance department. She served on a districtwide committee that met last school year to develop the community service plan. One of Hillsborough's concerns was creating standards that would stand the scrutiny of an audit. District officials also wanted to make sure the same rules applied at every school. "It's not fair at one school for a student to get hours for something that at another school a student couldn't," said Frances Otero, a district guidance supervisor. Seventy-five community service hours are required for students interested in the Florida Academic Scholars award through the Bright Futures program. The scholarship also requires a 3.5 grade point average and standardized test scores of 1270 on the SAT or 28 on the ACT. Students still are encouraged to participate in the carwashes and general volunteer activities, experience that may be used for other scholarships. Letitia Stein can be reached at lstein@sptimes.com or 813) 226-3400. For more education news, visit The Gradebook at blogs.tampabay.com/schools. Fast Facts: Community service To learn more about Hillsborough's community service requirements, visit the student section of the district Web site at www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/portals/students.asp and scroll down to community service.
[Last modified September 20, 2007, 08:24:48]
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