What Counts as Service?

Service is work that is done voluntary (unpaid) for the benefit of others through an organization, club, or activity. There are four types of service: 

• Direct – such as working one-on-one as a tutor
• Indirect – such as fundraising for a cause or organizing a food pantry
• Awareness—such as educating preschool students about recycling
• Advocacy—such as writing letters to local government official on behalf of an issue

Some types of service may seem obvious:

• Serving at a soup kitchen

• Cleaning up a local park 

• Helping with an event for the Community Service Club

But some things may not be as clear!  Such as...

Religious Service

ETHS is a public school, but many students are active members in their churches, synagogues, or mosques. We encourage students to serve their faith communities and will approve hours that involve working with and for their places of worship.

Political Service

Being involved in elections is an important part of being an engaged citizen. Therefore, we approve service that involves phonebanking, canvassing, or supporting voting access. While we prefer students submit nonpartisan service, we will accept service that is done for a particular candidate as well.

Family Service

Everyone has responsibilities in their family, however some responsibilities prevent students from seeking out of school activities or other service opportunities. When a student serves a key role in the day-to-day function of their family by caring for siblings or elders, we want to recognize this work as service. We ask students to consider these questions before submitting family-related service:

• Is a significant amount of my non-school time dedicated to caring for family member(s)? Is this done on a consistent basis (daily/weekly/biweekly)? If the answer is yes, then DO count this as service.

• Is this part of my list of chores? If the answer is yes, then DO NOT count this as service. 

• Am I making a stretch in order to get sufficient hours for Honor Society?  If the answer is yes, then DO NOT count this as service. 

Click here for more information on what counts as service and examples of service we've accepted.