Community Service

COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS SUCCESS SCHOLAR AWARD (through the Class of 2027 only) The Success Scholar Award honors students who have successfully completed 3 years of a language other than English (same language), maintained a 70% or higher average in each course, and performed 100 hours of approved community service during high school. Students fulfilling this criteria will be locally recognized upon graduation from high school.

SERVICE RECOGNITION AWARD (Class of 2028 and beyond) The CISD Service Recognition Award honors students who have performed 100 hours of approved community service during high school. Students fulfilling this criteria will be locally recognized upon graduation from high school.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do I document my community service hours?   Students will submit community service through SchooLinks. Go to Engage < Experience Tracking < Add Entry.   The student will need to enter the contact information for the supervisor of the community service event.   Detailed instructions can be found here: Reporting Service Hours in SchooLinks

When does this community service need to be done?   Students pursuing community service hours for recognition can accumulate credit for approved services performed anytime between the completion of their eighth grade year through the end of April of their senior year. It is to the student’s advantage to submit completed community service hours as early as possible.

For whom can the services be provided?   Many avenues are available for students to perform community service. All organizations must provide services to improve a community or benefit those in need, such as the American Cancer Society, Red Cross, Special Olympics, hospitals, food banks, public libraries, etc.

What kinds of activities are excluded?  Activities for which the student will not receive approval include, but are not limited to:

● Mandated services, such as teen court, to forgive tickets or police matters

● Activities for which the student receives direct benefit, i.e. fundraising for a school-related activity such as field trips, political campaigns for family members

● Activities during the student’s school day

● Activities for which the student is compensated

● Donating items or money in exchange for community service hours

Do activities need to be pre- approved?  Activities need not be pre-approved.