It is better to give than to receive.
Ask not what your country can do for you.
Ask what YOU can do for your country.

Volunteer Community Service Requirement

Community Service and volunteerism are concepts are an integral part of American way of life. Most of us find that volunteer service is richly rewarding on a personal level as well. Volunteerism can provide the deep satisfaction of helping someone less fortunate than ourselves. It also provides opportunities to make friends, have fun, and contribute to bettering our neighborhood, town or society. As we all know, America’s most important volunteers are…our host families!

YES Cluster Leader Responsibilities

YES Cluster Leaders are required to closely supervise Community Service Projects and make sure that each student completes the following requirements.

YES students will:

• Determine an area of interest
• Plan a Community Service Project (using local resources and agencies)
• Arrange an Agency representative to mentor and supervise the project
• Complete a minimum of five volunteer hours per month of Community Service
• Track Community Service Hours on form, signed by Agency supervisor
• Plan and deliver a ten-minute presentation on the Community Service Project at school
• Plan and deliver a ten-minute presentation on the Community Service Project at Re-Entry Orientation
• Complete the Community Service Project Evaluation Form (due March 15)
• Send regular email and photos of your Community Service Project to Aspect for our newsletter and website

Note: It is the YES Cluster Leader’s responsibility (not the host family’s) to help students complete their Community Service Project requirement. This includes providing students with community resources and ideas for volunteer service; helping students develop a service project; tracking students’ volunteer service hours; making sure all students complete presentations and submit required forms.

Please send us PHOTOS of your YES students helping in the community!

Community Media Involvement

Develop contacts at local media sources, and keep them informed of your students’ progress. Make sure they know this is an on-going program--if they cannot cover it this month, stay tuned for next month’s activities! Hint: sending them great photos is a sure-fire way to get their attention!

Aspect Foundation’s Community Service Competition

Aspect Foundation offers recognition and special prizes to YES students for–

Most community service hours Best newsletter essay(s) on Community Service Project (must be TYPED) Best Community Service Project Photos sent to Aspect

Students who complete more than 100 hours of community service will become eligible to receive the prestigious President’s Student Service Award Certificate. This certificate, signed by the President of the United States, recognizes students for outstanding community service.

Students must keep a record of volunteer activities and hours served. This Record of Service may be kept using Aspect Foundation’s Monthly Community Service Project Hours Tracking Form or tracked online using the USA Freedom Corp Record of Service.

Students must submit their records to Aspect Foundation. As a certifying organization, we will review and verify your records and order and distribute your award.

Community Service Projects and Alumni Activities

At each monthly meeting, please encourage your students to reflect upon the following two questions--

• What are you learning/gaining from your Community Service Project?

How do you plan to use this knowledge/understanding when you return home?

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