Service Learning Hours Guide for Abington Students

Abington School District (ASD) requires all students to complete Service Learning hours for students in grades 9 to 11. Service Learning promotes giving back to the community, while helping students build character by allowing them to foster strong values, awareness, self-esteem, confidence, and a sense of empathy and social responsibility.

Service Learning Requirements:

  • 9th grade: minimum of 15 hours of service learning with at least 6 journal entries
  • 10th grade: minimum of 15 hours of service learning with at least 6 journal entries
  • 11th grade: minimum of 20 hours of service learning with at least 6 journal entries and the completion of the culminating project, including a 2-3 page process paper, oral and visual presentation

Beginning in 9th grade, all students must record their service-learning hours on their culminating project time log. Students must provide documentation in order to get a signature confirming their participation in an event. Journaling occurs during the school year in students’ social studies classes throughout the year.

Log Sheet

ASD instructs students to save photos, brochures, t-shirts newspaper articles, or any other documentation of their service hours.  Collecting these items helps students document their accomplishments and they are needed for the 11th grade service learning project. The Culminating Project is one part of the graduation requirements for all students. Service Learning is part of the academic curriculum and students who do not complete the required hours will not receive their diploma.

If you have a child in grades 9 to 11 in need if service hours, it’s also a good time to line-up service learning opportunities for the fall.

Please see the guidelines from the ASD website, along with  some volunteer opportunities from the ASD as well as additional opportunities in the community.

Volunteer Organizations in and around the Abington area
Food Cupboards:

Visit Philabundance (regional food bank) and better zip code to find local food cupboards.  Often these food pantries have volunteer opportunities to pack weekly or month food boxes.

Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities for Grades 9-12
  • Abington Township Environmental Advisory Council
  • On-Going Service Opportunities
  • Service Project Ideas

Visit http://eac-abington.org/ and click on the VOLUNTEERS tab to see the many ways you can volunteer with the EAC. They also have opportunities for ongoing service projects including: Building rain barrels, Public gardens and green space, Building raised vegetable beds and row covers, Tree plantings and maintenance, Mussel surveys in local streams, In spring: “Great American Cleanup” (litter cleanups), In October: Ocean Conservancy “International Coastal Cleanup” (litter cleanups), Hosting tables at public fairs and events (like the Abington Pre-Night Out), Creating environmental videos.

For more information contact eac.abington@gmail.com

More Info from ASD on Service Learning