Four photos showing young volunteers: planting trees, petting a dog, collecting donations, picking up litter

Debate photos courtesy of families; Addictive Creative/Offset (Background); Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Getty Images (Planting); iStockPhoto/Getty Images (Soup Kitchen, Litter); Shutterstock.com (All Other Images), Illustration by Siobhán Gallagher

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Should Schools Require Community Service?

Community service is unpaid work to help people or improve society. There are all kinds of ways for teens to pitch in. And according to research by U.S. News & World Report, volunteering can have many benefits for teens. It can help them connect to their communities, engage with people and problems they might not otherwise encounter, develop career skills, and discover new interests.

Some middle and high schools require students to complete community service hours in order to graduate. At other schools, participating is optional for students. Those who favor mandatory community service cite its benefits for both teens and their communities. Others say that volunteering should be a choice, especially if it interferes with studying, extracurricular activities, after-school jobs, or other responsibilities.

What do you think? Should schools require community service hours?

Yes

At my school, we have to complete 10 hours of community service each year. There are so many ways to help. Students read to kindergartners, stock shelves at our local food pantry, or visit nursing homes. During the holidays, I sang carols to people who couldn’t leave their homes because of illness.

Community service shouldn’t feel like homework—it’s a chance to make a difference. It teaches responsibility, kindness, and how to care about others. It also helps us meet new people and learn skills we’ll need in the future.

Community service makes you feel good, because you know you’re helping someone. If schools require community service hours, every student will have the chance to experience that feeling.

—Luke LoPinto, 8th-grader

No

For high school students, time is a precious resource. On top of schoolwork, some teens have jobs to help support their families. Others are involved in extracurriculars that demand a lot of time. Student-athletes often practice for hours after school and spend their weekends traveling to games.

When busy teens get home, they’re focused on eating dinner, seeing their families, and finishing homework. When somebody’s schedule is that full, the last thing they’re thinking about is volunteering.

Though community service can be rewarding, it shouldn’t come at the expense of academics or other commitments. Making service hours mandatory only adds unnecesary pressure and stress to teens’ already packed lives.

—Iris Liao, 9th-grader

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