With President Barack Obama calling the nation to service as part of his historic inauguration, and with Mayor Michael Bloomberg pledging to encourage public service at his State of the City address, Councilmember Eric Gioia is proposing that New York City create a community service requirement for high school graduation.
Gioia is suggesting a pilot program that would require New York City high school juniors and seniors to complete a minimum of 20 hours of community service before graduation. Community service is a requirement in many schools across the country, and has been shown to raise voter participation and enhance students’ chances of going to college, noted Gioia. New York State currently allows local school districts to set additional graduation requirements at their discretion.
Starting their junior year, according to Gioia’s proposal, students would have to perform a total of 20 hours over two years at Department of Education (DOE) approved institutions, such as non-profits, hospitals, cultural institutions, and community organizations. Out of New York’s 425 high schools, around 100 have a community service requirement.
“Whether it’s helping to clean a park, performing a neighborhood watch, serving food at a soup kitchen, or serving on a neighborhood revitalization board, community service helps bind communities together,” said Gioia. “The service requirement would invest high school students with a spirit of volunteerism and the knowledge that they can make a measurable difference in their neighborhoods and the world.”
Across the country, cities, states and individual schools with community service requirements have reported positive results. School districts and schools that have the requirement include Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, Maryland, Florida and Massachusetts.
According to the Center for Information and Research on Civil Learning and Engagement, community service has a measurable impact on students. Community service:
“We think this is a good idea,” said William Havemann, spokesperson for the Department of Education. (DOE). “Community service can help students develop into responsible and conscientious adults.”
He warned, however, that “Effective implementation requires a lot of resources. Given the current financial crisis, we need to make sure we do this in a way that would be financially responsible.”
