Community Service
Community Service performed for the benefit of the public or an institution
is referred to public service. It is also referred to as an unpaid service for the benefit of the public that is performed by those individuals who have been charged with law violations as part (or all) of their sentence.
Community service refers to activities that a person performs for the benefit of his or her local community. People become involved in community service for a range of reasons — for some, serving community is an altruistic act, for others it is a punishment or even sometimes to make a friend. The term “community service”, therefore, refers to projects that members of certain youth organizations, such as the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts and some high school students perform. It is also an alternative sentencing technique in a justice system. Often, groups of individuals will commit to perform service to the community as a gesture to the larger community, as part of gift economics.
High School Graduation Requirement
In many educational jurisdictions, a certain number of hours of community service is required to graduate. In Washington State, for example, students must complete 60 hours of community service to receive a high school diploma. Some Washington school districts, including Seattle Public Schools, have differentiated between community service and “service learning,” requiring students to demonstrate that their work has contributed to their education.[1] If a student in high school is taking an avid course, community service is required. Some students do it for fun, but for others, it is a requirement.
- Services volunteered by individuals or an organization to benefit a community or its institutions.
- Similar work performed by law offenders to serve a sentence in lieu of or in addition to jail time.
