Community Service
While community service is not a graduation requirement, it is a requirement for many scholarships. For instance, the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship requires between 75 and 100 community service hours, depending on the award level. The RHS counselors strongly encourage students to find projects that are important to them and allows them to explore solutions to social problems. We do this for a few reasons:
- The students only have so much time in their day. We want them to make the best use of the hours they have.
- Our community needs young people to take a vested interest in community issues. Young people have the energy and creative minds needed to help solve some of our biggest problems.
- The students can use the time they spend on community service projects to develop ideas for college application essays and leadership opportunities. Imagine if a student, interested in the medical field, could describe witnessing the impact the lack of access to health care has on people who are homeless. The hours dedicated to working at the homeless shelter can be used for Bright Futures and other scholarship programs. What the student learned during the experience can be used for college applications. Imagine how that college essay now stands out to the reviewers... it's a win-win-win for all involved.
Steps to complete the Bright Futures service requirement
1. Identify a social problem.
2. Write a community service plan.
3. Document community service hours using the correct form.
4. Write or Present a Reflective Summary of the Community Service Experience.
5. Submit Your Documentation of Hours to Your School Counselor. All Florida Bright Futures Community Service hours must be approved by a DCPS school counselor.
Florida legislation included a WORK HOURS component for Bright Futures eligibility as of July 2022. Work Hours forms and directions can be found here.
A more detailed explanation of community service guidelines can be found here.
2. Write a community service plan.
3. Document community service hours using the correct form.
4. Write or Present a Reflective Summary of the Community Service Experience.
5. Submit Your Documentation of Hours to Your School Counselor. All Florida Bright Futures Community Service hours must be approved by a DCPS school counselor.
Florida legislation included a WORK HOURS component for Bright Futures eligibility as of July 2022. Work Hours forms and directions can be found here.
A more detailed explanation of community service guidelines can be found here.
Where do I find community service opportunities?
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Jax Symphony Community Service Opportunity
City Year Mentoring Project
READ USA Job Opportunity
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Other organizations that provide opportunities for students to participate in community service. Note: Some projects listed on these websites may not meet guidelines for Bright Futures, but may meet other service program guidelines.
- http://www.volunteermatch.org/
- https://www.handsonjacksonville.org/#/
- https://habijax.org/volunteer/
- https://murrayhilljax.com/
- https://brooksadaptivesportsandrecreation.com/volunteer/
- https://groundworkjacksonville.org/projects/green-team/
- https://www.frontlinefoods.org/volunteer/
- https://learningally.org/Get-Involved/Volunteer-Opportunities
- https://www.bemyeyes.com/
- https://librivox.org/pages/volunteer-for-librivox/
- https://www.bookshare.org/cms/get-involved/volunteer
- https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/roxannebeltran/ano-nuevo-island-animal-count
- https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/birgus2/western-shield-camera-watch
- https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/penguintom79/penguin-watch
- https://translatorswithoutborders.org/volunteer/
- https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/vivitang/earthquake-detective
- https://www.antislaverymanuscripts.org/
- https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/oogvoordiabetes/eye-for-diabetes
Frequently Asked Questions
What "counts" for community service?
The student must be able to answer these questions, at minimum:
Activities that typically do not count as community service for the Bright Futures program:
How do I document and submit my community service hours?
How do I submit my Community Service Verification forms?
The verification forms are required to be kept on-file at the student's school as part of their cumulative student record. The original form with original signatures and supporting documents, if required, should be submitted to the student's school counselor. For students taking classes at Riverside, the forms can be handed to their school counselor during Open Office Hours or during the student's lunch break. Students who are taking classes at FSCJ can submit the forms to the Riverside Main Office between 1:50-2:30 on days the school building is open. If the school buildings shut down for incidents such as weather or national emergencies, students should hold their forms until buildings re-open or until directed otherwise by their school counselor.
Where can I find how many hours I have documented for Bright Futures?
The hours earned towards the Bright Futures scholarship program are recorded on the student's transcript. Students can view these hours:
The student must be able to answer these questions, at minimum:
- How does the work performed help reduce or eliminate a community/social issue?
- Was the service provided supervised by someone not related to the student? (Answer must be "yes".)
- Is the service provided by the student or organization free and open to the public? (Answer must be "yes".)
- Did the work start after you entered 9th grade student & before the end of 12th grade? (Answer must be "yes".)
- Did the student gain any benefit from the service, including but not limited to: payment, a class/assignment grade, admission to an event, food, advantage for other scholarships or program eligibility, or other barter exchange of goods or services? (Answer must be "no".)
Activities that typically do not count as community service for the Bright Futures program:
- Court ordered hours
- Hours compensated financially
- Fostering an animal in the home
- Donations (e.g. Locks of Love, blood, clothing)
- Hosting or housing a foreign exchange student
- Family-related activities or service to family members
- Hours tied to school activities where grades, extra credit, or awards are involved (including athletics)
- Service for the sole benefit of a religious house of worship or it's congregation. Some activities sponsored by the organization that benefit the community may be acceptable for Bright Futures (e.g. working in a soup kitchen, community clean up events, community health fairs, community dances or festivals, clerical support for social service activities)
How do I document and submit my community service hours?
- Each student must complete and submit for approval by his/her school counselor all Florida Bright Futures community service hours prior to the student’s graduation date. Seniors who want their community service hours to post for the Bright Futures Early Evaluation must have their hours turned in to the school counseling office by the end of the first semester of their senior year.
- Students must use the Verification of Community Service form provided by Duval County Public Schools to document all volunteer hours for Florida Bright Futures Scholarship eligibility.
- Students will itemize each date of volunteer service, even if the hours served were to work on one project. Date of service must include month, day, and year, as indicated in the Verification of Community Service form. Hours approved cannot exceed 12 hours per day without PRIOR School Counselor approval.
- An adult must verify all volunteer hours. Verifiers may not be a relative or step family member of the volunteer.
- Each date of service requires a Verifier’s Signature. Written verification by way of an original letter written on organizational letterhead is acceptable with original signature IF the letter includes dates of service, total hours, and itemization of service performed by date. Students may attach such letter to the completed verification form. Students may write “see attached” in place of verifier’s signature.
- Each community service entry must be complete, legible, and in blue or black ink pen. This is a permanent record and Duval County Public Schools will keep the student’s original document(s) with signature(s). Students should make a copy of all records prior to submitting them to the school counseling office.
- Community service hours earned by students prior to enrolling in a DCPS school, eg. Home Education, private school, and transfer students can be used for Florida Bright Futures if:
- such hours meet the criteria established as appropriate for Florida Bright Futures service in Duval County Public Schools and
- the student can provide documentation and signed verification of the hours.
How do I submit my Community Service Verification forms?
The verification forms are required to be kept on-file at the student's school as part of their cumulative student record. The original form with original signatures and supporting documents, if required, should be submitted to the student's school counselor. For students taking classes at Riverside, the forms can be handed to their school counselor during Open Office Hours or during the student's lunch break. Students who are taking classes at FSCJ can submit the forms to the Riverside Main Office between 1:50-2:30 on days the school building is open. If the school buildings shut down for incidents such as weather or national emergencies, students should hold their forms until buildings re-open or until directed otherwise by their school counselor.
Where can I find how many hours I have documented for Bright Futures?
The hours earned towards the Bright Futures scholarship program are recorded on the student's transcript. Students can view these hours:
- on their Academic History provided by their school counselor each semester
- on an official transcript (request HERE)
- by appointment with Riverside Records Department (ask to speak to the CRT)