Community vs. Volunteer Service
Community Service is defined as identifying and addressing a social issue in the community. This requires students to look beyond themselves and reach out to an issue faced by our society today (i.e. poverty, abuse, elderly citizens, homelessness). These hours will meet the requirement for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship. Volunteer Service is defined as assisting unpaid but not necessarily addressing a social issue. Although these hours are not recorded on the transcript, students can keep a log of these activities for use when applying to colleges, for job applications, awards, and scholarships other than Bright Futures.
Hours NOT considered for community service:
Family related activities to/for family members
Hours that are compensated: financially or other benefit (grades)
Court-mandated community service
Service for the sole benefit of a religious house of worship and/or it’s congregation. (Activities sponsored by these organizations that benefit the community ARE accepted such as mission trips, community clean ups, vacation bible school, etc.)
Co-curricular activities that are course requirements.
Activity where there is no leader or responsible adult on site to confirm student contribution.
Donations such as blood, clothing, etc.
Hours submitted after graduation or performed during the school day.
Hours that are considered “volunteer” and does not meet the state’s definition of “community service (see above)