Michael Sances's blog

Concerned parent Cary Bickley writes in an opinion piece in the Christian Science Monitor (July 16) what many of us are probably already thinking, if not saying out loud. Lamenting the rise of "mandated volunteerism," Bickley writes that "the demands of community service have changed dramatically" in the past decade. Service hours, she writes, have become simply another line on a college--of even high school--application, a "rat race" devoid of the worth and community spirit associated with "voluntary" volunteering.

Welcome to the newest rat race, the race for community service hours. Ask students walking for a "cure" or tutoring underprivileged children why they are there and they'll tell you, "I need the hours." Schools, particularly private schools, have taken it on themselves to legislate the good deeds of our children and by inference, we parents as well. I no longer have the time to discuss my own family's religious and moral duties with my children – we're all too busy racing from project to project putting in required hours.

What do you think? Has the competition for service hours gotten out of control? Would you volunteer or participate in service projects as much if you weren't required to? Do you already do good works in your community without marking it up on your resume? Or is the push for more service hours a good thing, giving students an opportunity and set time to participate in projects they normally wouldn't be able to?

Pictured (Bottom Left to Top Right): Rep. Patrick Natale, Sen. Robert Havern, Dorchester Youth Council Member Fils Chery, Woburn Youth Council Member Caitlin Walsh, SCI President David Crowley, Dorchester Site Director Marisa Coleman, Woburn Youth Council Member Priynk Patel, AmeriCorps*VISTA Mike Sances, Board Member Jamie Hollis, Dorchester Youth Programs Coordinator Leah Moschella, Woburn Youth Programs Coordinator Jordan Jones.

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Congratulations to MassYouth user Kate Harten for winning the "Blog Post for 100" Contest! Kate's post, "The Negative View of Youths...Scary Statistics and what we can do about it!" received 23 comments up to yesterday, the contest deadline. Kate's post, especially her question to her peers about whether they've experienced youth discrimination, certainly inspired a good deal of discussion among the site users. Read the post and comments by clicking here.  read more »