Service Learning

Service Learning Requirements
Service Opportunities

Service Learning Requirements

Service at Riverdale High School is more than community service or volunteerism; it links education to service and service to learning. Our 80-hour service requirement happens through both individual community service and classroom service learning projects.

We think service is important for several reasons. It takes students out of their comfort zones. It exposes them to new and unfamiliar ideas. It illuminates political, social and economic issues that they may be completely unaware of.

Participating in service projects helps students get to know the diversity of people and perspectives in their community. It teaches the value of working toward a common goal. In this way, service prepares students to be good leaders, good community members and good citizens.

The 80-hour service graduation requirement is typically completed as follows:

   Freshmen: 20 hrs.
   Sophomores: 20 hrs.
   Juniors: 20 hrs.
   Seniors: 20 hrs.

Since students do community service to help a person, persons or organization accomplish something they would not otherwise be able to accomplish, some guidelines apply.

Service Opportunities

The following is a list of service learning opportunities throughout the area. Students should use the list to find opportunities that intersect with their interests, but it can also be used to help find similar ones that may be closer to their own communities. If, for instance, you don’t live close to any of the parks under the “Outdoors” section, try searching for opportunities at those closer to you. Similarly, if there is a hospital closer to you than those included below, see if they also have a volunteer section on their website.

In the future, we’ll be updating this list with more detailed explanations of each opportunity and with new service learning experiences as they present themselves. If you think that something should be included below, please don’t hesitate to let us know, and we’ll add it to the list.