Many high schools, including Jackson-Reed, require students to complete 100 or more hours of community service before graduation. While this policy has its benefits, we don’t think 100 hours of community service should be required to graduate. 

Jackson-Reed’s community service requirement helps students become active members of their communities. Many students who participate in community service make new friends and contacts within their neighborhoods, giving them the opportunity to socialize.

Community service also helps students academically and professionally. Many college admissions officers are looking for applicants to have completed anywhere from 50 to 200 hours of volunteer work. Furthermore, participating in community service allows students to explore career paths and develop workplace skills. Students can volunteer in fields they are interested in without having to commit to a full-time job, which provides valuable insight.  These opportunities also teach students important professional traits such as communication, teamwork, management, and organization. Volunteer programs can even help students secure a job or an internship. 

While these are all great benefits, we believe that community service should not be mandatory in high school. At the end of the day, the majority of students are completing community service hours in order to graduate and place more activities on their college applications. However, if students participate in  extracurricular activities and maintain good grades, why should colleges care about community service hours? 

Many extracurricular activities provide  the same skills we could get from community service—things like time management, work ethic, and social skills. For example, to run a club you need organization, teamwork, and communication. 

While community service is a great thing to do, it should not be required to graduate from Jackson-Reed. Students can help the community and gain the professional skills provided by community service simply by participating in clubs, sports, and other extracurriculars.