PURPOSE
Community service work is a vital learning experience, which creates the kinds of citizens who make a difference in our society. Geneva Community High School graduates should be prepared to be good citizens who care about their community. The GHS PTO would like to encourage and support student involvement in community service by providing information about types of service opportunities and recognizing students who are making a difference in our community. Community service is doing volunteer work for an individual or non-profit organization that helps others without receiving compensation.
IMPLEMENTATION
The GIVE project is run by a GHS PTO committee which is primarily a record-keeping committee that awards GIVE participants based on number of volunteer hours. All students at Geneva High School may participate in the GIVE project.
While the GIVE committee provides general information and guidance about community service, it does not directly provide volunteer opportunities to students. It is the student’s responsibility to find their own community service volunteer opportunities. Students and parents receive information about the GIVE project, including award levels and deadlines, through the GHS Connects, and morning announcements. From time to time, the GIVE committee may promote certain community projects looking for GHS volunteers. Students may pick up GIVE HOURS RECORD forms to document their community service hours at the GHS Main Office or print them from the Geneva High School website (found under the “students” tab).
2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR
Hours for the 2026-2027 school year will be accepted for service done on April 18, 2026, through April 16, 2027. Any hours worked over the summer should be included. Incoming freshmen can begin recording service hours the day after GMS Promotion Ceremonies. All GIVE HOURS RECORD forms for the 2026-2027 school year must be returned to the GHS Main Office by Monday, April 19, 2027, so the GIVE Committee can tabulate the hours. Forms can be handed into the office anytime during the school year before the deadline. GIVE HOURS RECORD forms will not be accepted after the deadline.
Levels of recognition for the school year:
WHITE LEVEL – Students providing 20-49 service hours per year will receive a certificate
BLUE LEVEL – Students providing 50+ service hours per year will receive a certificate and a sweet treat
GOLD LEVEL – 2027 graduating students with a total of 200+ or more service hours while attending GHS will receive a certificate, and a tassel to be worn at graduation
DOCUMENTATION
In order for a student to receive full credit for community service hours, the GIVE HOURS RECORD form must be completed with all of the following information:
1. Student personal details:
• Student’s name
• Grade level
• Student ID
• Student Phone Number
2. A checklist is found at the top of the GIVE HOURS RECORD form and must be completed before submitting the form
3. Recorded GIVE hours:
(a) If you volunteer intermittently and/or with different organizations, complete the boxes as indicated on the GIVE HOURS RECORD form:
• Date of service
• Number of service hours given on that date
• Name of the organization that the student volunteered for
• Description of service (Please be specific)
• Printed name, signature and phone number of an adult supervisor.
(b) If you volunteer for the same organization on a regular basis, you must account for EACH DATE you volunteer. To help record multiple dates/times with the same organization, please print out and complete the SUPPLEMENTAL GIVE HOURS LOG found on the GHS website (under the “students” tab). Once the SUPPLEMENTAL GIVE HOURS LOG is full (or used as necessary), attach it to the GIVE HOURS RECORD form and fill out the GIVE HOURS RECORD form as follows:
• For ‘date of service’ – write the range of dates from the SUPPLEMENTAL GIVE HOURS LOG (e.g. 5/1/2025-4/1/2026)
• For ‘number of service hours given’ – transfer total hours from the SUPPLEMENTAL GIVE HOURS LOG
• Complete the name of the organization that the student volunteered for • Give a description of your regular service (Please be specific)
• Print the name & phone number of an adult supervisor
• For ‘supervisor signature’ – write ‘see attached GIVE LOG’ Volunteer hours must adhere to the guidelines below. The PTO GIVE Committee will verify the information submitted. Forms that have not been completely correctly will not be considered.
Students must make a copy (or take a photo) of the GIVE HOURS RECORD form and any supporting logs or forms before submitting it. The school or GIVE committee is not responsible for lost or misplaced forms. In the case of lost or misplaced forms, it is the student’s responsibility to provide a duplicate.
GUIDELINES
Students may use volunteer hours gained by participating in a variety of volunteer activities where the student can validate service to others without being compensated. The following are examples of acceptable GIVE hours. Volunteering for GHS school community: Any school-coordinated volunteer projects that can be validated by a teacher, GHS staff member, or PTO representative can be submitted as GIVE hours. Here are some examples:
Clubs – Many GHS clubs such as the Environmental Club, Key Club, Leo’s Club, & Tech Arts, provide volunteer opportunities for students. For a full list of clubs along with descriptions and contact details, look under athletics/activities tab on GHS website Note: clubs such as National Honor Society that require a certain number of volunteer hours for enrollment can only submit GIVE hours outside that quota. Please talk with the NHS teacher for details.
Exceptions: GIVE volunteer hours can only be the time given in service to others. Club meetings, training, or social events where service to others cannot validated cannot be submitted as GIVE hours
Academics –
• volunteer tutoring done in the school environment and approved by a coordinating teacher
Athletics –
• volunteering for school-run athletic camps such as summer camps or middle school prep camps
• helping with Sports Booster projects
• distributing uniforms or spirit wear
• team manager position does not count towards GIVE hours
Arts –
• participating in a school-run play or concert
• helping with Music Booster projects
Exceptions: Only the performance at which the community benefits can count as GIVE hours. Practice and rehearsal cannot be submitted as GIVE hours.
Food Service –
• volunteering with Geneva 304 Food Service Curbside Pickup
PTO events –
• volunteering at PTO run events not only at GHS, but also at Geneva middle schools and elementary schools.
Volunteering in the community: Community service can be done through a variety of non-profit organizations in Geneva and neighboring suburbs. Here are some examples:
•
Churches – in addition to steady volunteer opportunities, many churches need volunteers for camps, mission trips, & food pantries
• Geneva Public Library - offers teen volunteer opportunities
•
City of Geneva – offers volunteer opportunities for city beautification, the arts, and managing natural resources through the Natural Resources Committee
•
Geneva History Museum • Geneva Chamber of Commerce – hosts a variety of festivals each year that require the help of volunteers
•
Homeless shelters
• Animal shelters
• Good Templar Park
• Retirement homes
• Food banks such as Northern Illinois Food Bank & Feed My Starving Children
•
And many other philanthropic organizations such as LEAP Volunteering beyond the Geneva community: Community service may also extend beyond Geneva as long as the organization is non-profit and can validate service to others.
Acceptable GIVE hours:
If there are questions about the suitability of a volunteer opportunity or what is considered as acceptable community service for GIVE hours, students must check with the GIVE Chairperson prior to doing the service. Here are some examples of acceptable and unacceptable GIVE hours.
1) Religious (Worship) Services
• If you volunteer in your church (choir, musician, greeter, pass out materials, coffee service, kids’ helper, etc.), the time spent performing your service can count for GIVE hours. The remaining time spent attending the worship service does not count for GIVE hours
• Practice and rehearsal time does not count for GIVE hours
2) Concerts/Plays/Entertainment
• Time spent performing for a free community performance or fundraiser for a non-profit organization can be used for GIVE hours
• Practice and rehearsal time does not count for GIVE hours
3) Pet sitting or fostering an animal
• Up to two (2) hours per day, pet sitting for a person in need or fostering an animal in your home can be used for GIVE hours • Actively caring for the animal (walking, feeding, playing) and can be used for GIVE hours
• Time spent keeping the animal company does not count for GIVE hours
• Pet sitting for a neighbor or family member who is on vacation or at work does not count as GIVE hours
4) Mission Trips
• Time spent working (typically 8 hours/day) can be counted for GIVE hours
• Time spent traveling, sleeping, free-time, or ‘on-call’ time does not count for GIVE hours
5) Citizen Science Projects for non-profit organizations
• Research or community education where volunteer time can be measured and validated by an approved supervisor can be counted as GIVE hours
• Scholarship volunteer programs where the student is being recognized and awarded by another governing organization does not count for GIVE hours
6) Non-profit organizations vs ‘for profit’ businesses
• Time spent working for a non-profit organization can be counted for GIVE hours
• Time spent working for a ‘for-profit’ business does not count for GIVE hours unless the hours can be deemed to
(i) not qualify as unpaid labor and
(ii) benefit the community in the altruistic spirit of the GIVE program. All volunteering for a ‘for-profit’ organization must be approved by the committee and conditions may apply.
• Internships, scholarships, ‘work experience’, or helping friends/relatives with their business cannot be counted as GIVE hours
• Helping a business donate their services or run a fundraiser for the community can be counted as GIVE hours
• Volunteer coaching of younger students for a ‘for-profit’ business (e.g. dance studio, youth sports organization) can be counted for a maximum of twenty (20) GIVE hours per year (provided the student is not receiving discounts or other compensation)
7) Service Projects
• Service projects for scouts or those performed independently (with little or no oversight or supervision) need prior approval from the GIVE committee if expected time commitment will total greater than 10 hours per year. As Eagle Scout projects are recognized by another governing organization, those hours can only be counted for a maximum of ten (10) GIVE hours.
8) Babysitting
• Babysitting does not count as GIVE hours
SUPERVISOR/TEACHER/COACH/SCHOOL SPONSOR Guidelines • Before signing off a GIVE HOURS RECORD form or any SUPPLEMENTAL GIVE HOURS LOG forms, please ensure that the form is filled out clearly and correctly per the guidelines and instructions above
• Review number of minutes/hours. Are they reasonable and accurate?
• Please DO NOT pre-sign GIVE hours record forms without listing the date, description of service, and accurate number of service hours
• If you have multiple students volunteering for exactly the same project, please ensure that each student receives the same number of hours as their peers
CONTACT INFORMATION Please contact the GIVE chairperson, Andi Balloun, at
[email protected] with any questions Parent volunteers are needed at the end of the school year to tally forms and to pass out awards. If you are interested in helping out, please sign up on the PTO registration form or email Andi Balloun.