For Students: Getting Started

As you begin your search, look for an agency or coalition that pairs your passion, career interests, or important personal issues. For example, you may wish to volunteer in the medical field, with the local baseball league, at your church, the local fire company, or even within your own school district. You may also wish to look for service activities that are close to your home.

You may select more than one site at which to perform community service activities. Other options may be available through independent projects. The Volunteer Service Facilitator, school counselors, teachers, and administrators are available to help you make decisions concerning the volunteer service requirement.

Completing the Volunteer Service Experience Requirement:

  • High School
    • Your VSE will be facilitated through your high school portfolio.
  • Middle School
    • You will have the opportunity to complete your VSE hours through the mentoring program.
  • Grades 4 and 5
    • You will have the opportunity to complete your VSE through an event determined by your building principal and/or classroom teacher.

Volunteer service activities should actively engage students in tasks that:

  1. Provide developmentally appropriate activities that are supervised/mentored by a responsible adult.
  2. Provide community service experiences for Palisades School District students under the guidance of our staff and directors.
  3. Offer career exploration and work force skills.
  4. Provide job descriptions and training requirements, specifically identifying any risks or exposure to potentially dangerous situations.
  5. Provide Palisades School District with proof of the appropriate clearance documentation to work with students.
  6. Provide the Palisades School District with proof of insurance for students on site or a statement of no insurance available.
  7. Report an accident, injury, or emotional trauma involving the student, to the parent immediately, and the appropriate building principal by the next business day.
  8. Call the Volunteer Service facilitator in the event that one or more of the "Student Responsibilities" are not being met as listed on the Volunteer Service Time Card.

These activities should not:

  1. Include activities involving alcoholic beverages.
  2. Involve operation of motor vehicles or use of machinery that requires technical training.
  3. Be discriminatory in relation to age, color, disability, national origin, race, or sex.
  4. Pose unusual safety risks.
  5. Support agencies whose volunteer activities may be libelous, defamatory, obscene, lewd, vulgar, profane, or might violate state/federal laws, or incite violence.
  6. Provide private or personal financial gain, as in violation of Child Labor Laws.