Community service is required of all members of the Pac Rim class and is rewarded with up to 40 points in Pac Rim history for all those who meet the following requirements:

8 hours of supervised unpaid work for a non-profit organization, ie. School, hospital, church, Red Cross, police, fire department, forest service, homeless shelter, Salvation Army, etc.

or 8 hours of supervised unpaid word at some for profit organizations pre-approved by the teacher, ie. Day care, rest home, etc. This does not include working in your family’s business or helping a relative or neighbor.

or 8 hours of an unpaid independent project without supervision with extra documentation agreed upon with the teacher. This may be working on a web page to educate people on a community or global problem, raising money for a cause, etc.

Students must turn in the following documentation by Jan. 30, 2001:

1. A paragraph that describes the organization and its value to the community (some groups have pamphlets that may help you).
2. An account of what you did which includes the date, hours, a description of what you did. For example:

May 5, 2000-4:30 to 7:30 (3 hours): I arrived at the Sunshine Nursing home and was assigned to deliver mail to the patient’s rooms from 4:30 to 5:30. When I was finished, I helped Mr. Smith with his dinner from 5:30 to 6:00. From 6:00-7:30, I helped in the recreation room by getting out board games for patients to play, playing the piano, and talking with several patients. Mrs. Myers told me all about living in India when she was a little girl.
3. A signed letter or time sheet by a supervisor or some adult in charge. This can be done at the completion of your 8 hours.
4. One or more paragraphs relating what you learned about the needs of the community, how you helped the community, what the volunteer work taught you. This should show insight into the value of community service to you and the community and should be well written.

In past years, Pac Rim students found that community service was fulfilling and often continued to volunteer long after their 8 hour requirement. They learned about future careers, included it on college and scholarship applications, and felt that they gained insight into community and global problems.