Service Learning Information

Service Learning Action Dashboard

Use the direct tools below to find approved volunteer locations, view upcoming deadlines, and submit your documentation for administrative review.

Program Overview & Graduation Requirement

To graduate from Oak Lawn Community High School, all students must fulfill a mandatory 24-hour service learning requirement. This program is designed to cultivate civic responsibility and prepare individuals for meaningful community involvement. Service learning involves unpaid volunteer work performed for non-profit groups, individuals in need, or community organizations. Students become eligible to accumulate hours starting on their very first day of classes at OLCHS.

Option I: Direct Service Projects

Students may satisfy their graduation hours by completing activities across three distinct operational areas:

• 1. Community-Based Initiatives: These projects take place completely outside of the standard school day. The volunteer work must benefit external populations and cannot directly serve OLCHS or its internal organizations. These projects do not qualify for academic credits or extracurricular compensation.
• 2. School-Based Academic Projects: These activities are embedded within regular coursework and guided by a classroom teacher to connect academic curricula to real-world community outreach (such as organizing resource drives). Students are not permitted to claim both course credit and service learning hours for the exact same task.
• 3. School Activity & Club Projects: Service work organized directly by an official school club, athletic team, or class organization. A maximum of 1/3 of the total requirement (8 hours) can be earned through this method. These hours must be completed outside regular school hours, cannot grant course credit, and cannot overlap with standard club membership requirements or NHS duties.

How to Check Your Service Hours

Students and parents can quickly review their officially logged hours through the student management portal. Follow these steps to locate your records:

1. Log in directly to your personal Skyward Student or Parent Access account.
2. Locate the navigation menu on the left side of the main student screen and select the link titled "Student Info".
3. Review the information box situated right below the student ID portrait layout to locate the "Service Hours" metric, which displays your current school-verified total.

Mandatory Project Criteria

To be approved for graduation credit, all service projects must strictly adhere to the following parameters:

• Eligible Beneficiaries: Activities must benefit registered non-profit entities, 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, individuals in genuine need, or school parent groups that provide free civic services.
• Financial Restrictions: Work cannot involve handling cash, direct solicitation of financial donations, processing commercial transactions, generating corporate profits, or collecting donation pledges.
• Political & Family Restrictions: Hours cannot be earned by working for a political candidate, a partisan organization, a special interest lobbying group, or any immediate family member.
• Religious Organizations: Volunteering at a religious institution is acceptable, but the tasks performed cannot be religious in nature. Hours spent participating in worship services, leading prayer, or teaching religious dogma do not qualify.
• Pre-Approval Rule: If a volunteer site is not explicitly listed on the school’s pre-approved directory, the student must secure authorization from the Service Learning Coordinator before commencing any work.

Submission Policies & Graduation Deadlines

• The Two-Week Submission Window: All signed verification forms must be turned in within two weeks of the final date of service. Documentation submitted past this 14-day window will be rejected, and hours will be withheld.
• Summer Volunteer Hours: Service completed during the summer break must be turned in within the first two weeks of the start of the fall semester.
• January Graduates: The absolute final deadline to turn in paperwork is the official start of Semester One Senior Exams.
• May Graduates: The absolute final deadline to turn in paperwork is the official start of Semester Two Senior Exams.

Option II: Alternate Written Research Paper

As an alternative to field service hours, students may elect to complete a comprehensive research project focused on a critical community issue. This option requires formal approval from the Service Learning Coordinator at every stage of the process.

Project Components & Specifications:

• Literary Review: Investigate a relevant social issue using 7 to 10 extensive sources, including books, news publications, and academic journals.
• Expert Interviews: Develop an authorized questionnaire and conduct a minimum of four comprehensive interviews exploring the varying perspectives of the topic. Interviewees must possess objective professional experience and cannot be relatives or personal friends.
• Manuscript Guidelines: The final paper must be a minimum of 10 typed, double-spaced pages using a standard 12-point Times New Roman font and 1-inch margins. It must feature full endnotes and a bibliography conforming to the OLCHS English curriculum formatting guides.
• Final Deadline: The completed paper must be reviewed and accepted by the final day of the third quarter of the student's senior year.

National Honor Society (NHS) Eligibility & Application Pipeline

The Spartan chapter of the National Honor Society formally recognizes students who distinguish themselves in scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Because community volunteerism is a core pillar of evaluation, the school enforces strict operational guidelines for candidate selection.

Candidate Evaluation Benchmarks:

• Grade Level: Applicants must hold active status as a junior (Grade 11) or a senior (Grade 12).
• Academic Standing: Candidates must possess and maintain a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.5000.
• Extracurricular Footprint: Students must demonstrate verifiable, concurrent involvement in at least two separate, completely unrelated school activities.
• Behavioral Integrity: The applicant's files must be completely clear of any serious school disciplinary infractions.
• Service Cutoff Date: The complete 24-hour graduation service learning goal must be finished and logged no later than September 1 of the intended application year.

Step-by-Step Selection Workflow:

• Step 1 (Early Warning): The Service Learning Coordinator proactively mails a formal notification letter to all students meeting the GPA threshold, detailing their exact outstanding service criteria.
• Step 2 (Data Review): Once the September deadline passes, the Coordinator validates submissions, builds the master eligibility log, and forwards it to the NHS Faculty Sponsor. Note: Extra hours logged before induction will not count toward internal NHS group requirements.
• Step 3 (The Invitation): The NHS Activity Sponsor issues formal application packets exclusively to the individuals who cleared both the GPA and service hurdles.
• Step 4 (Evaluation & Voting): Completed student portfolios are submitted by a strict deadline to a specialized five-member Faculty Council appointed by the Principal, who determine the final induction roster.
• Step 5 (Induction): Selected students receive formal acceptance notifications by a set calendar date and attend sessions detailing procedures for keeping their active membership status.

Student Integrity & Graduation Honors

High Achievement Milestones:

• Outstanding Service Award: Any student who successfully logs 100 or more hours of verified service before the conclusion of their senior year will receive a public accommodation and an honorary certificate during Senior Awards Night.
• Distinguished Service Graduate: The single graduating senior who documents the absolute highest numerical volume of verified community service hours across their entire class layout will be honored as the premier Distinguished Service Graduate with a special certificate of merit.

Safety Protocols, Student Conduct, & Liability

Student protection and program integrity are paramount. The following codes apply to all volunteer placements:

• Supervision: Students must be under continuous, direct adult guidance and site supervision at all times.
• Hazardous Restrictions: Students are strictly prohibited from operating heavy machinery, using dangerous tools, working in hazardous environments, or participating in clinical duties that involve exposure to harmful bodily fluids or contaminants.
• Vehicles: Operating any motor vehicle or transporting passengers as part of a service assignment is strictly forbidden.
• Transit & Insurance Liability: Daily travel to and from volunteer sites is the sole responsibility of the student and their family. In the event of an injury on site, the host organization's liability insurance serves as the primary coverage. A parent/guardian emergency medical release form must be on file with the school.
• Disciplinary Rules: All standard OLCHS student handbook behavioral codes remain in effect. Infractions, unexcused tardiness, or dismissal from a site can lead to a Dean's referral, forfeiture of hours, or a mandatory transition to the alternate Option II research paper.
• Program Integrity: Court-ordered community service hours cannot be used to satisfy school graduation goals. Any attempts to falsify verification forms will trigger an immediate disciplinary referral to the Dean.

Service Learning Due Process (Appeals)

Students maintain the right to appeal administrative decisions or address issues regarding equitable treatment through a formal, four-step review process:

1. Step 1: Attempt an informal reconciliation by scheduling a direct discussion with the Service Learning Coordinator.
2. Step 2: If the issue remains unresolved, the Coordinator will arrange a formal parent-student conference to evaluate the matter.
3. Step 3: If still unsatisfied, a formal written appeal must be delivered to the Student Services Director. This document must clearly outline the complaint, relevant facts, and the student's proposed resolution.
4. Step 4: Ultimate administrative appeals can be submitted in writing directly to the school Principal for a final determination.

Contact & Social Media Support Hub

If you require a historical breakdown of your volunteer history or have specific questions regarding a site's parameters, reach out directly to our department:

Connect With Us Online:

• X / Twitter Portal: Receive swift push notifications by following us @OLCHSStServices.
• Facebook Community: Access updates on social media via the OLCHS Student Services Office Facebook Page.