SERVICE
"Collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need"
GET IT STARTED...
Helping, informing, enabling, facilitating, providing, engaging to improve, spreading understanding, advocating, filling a need.
FOUR TYPES OF SERVICE
Direct Service:
Service you organize: yard or house work for elderly neighbors, tutoring, organizing an after-school group for young children
Most service you participate in through organizations: School clubs, Special Olympics
Indirect Service:
You contribute to work through a charity or nonprofit but do not actually meet the beneficiary. You have the ethical responsibility to verify that your actions will benefit the community or environment through a reputable partner: Donation drives, “cure” walks/runs, blood drives;
Fundraising / sales for charitable organizations (the proceeds will benefit ____); Putting together hygiene kits or making meals, making receiving blankets to donate, etc.
Advocacy:
Using speech to raise awareness and educate on a matter of public benefit:
Raising awareness of ways to diminish the effects of homelessness, hunger, abuse, or environmental harm: Water walks, Disparity dinners, etc.; Translating information necessary for a group to participate in public discourse: Designing a campaign to make information from a research project known to those who can make policy or implement practices (see #4)
Research:
After selecting a topic of some importance, you conduct an investigation by finding information, analyzing data, and reporting on it in ways that can impact decisions, whether of individuals or of entities. Policies or practices may change as a result: Studying social matters through interviews, surveys, or other data collection means; Figuring out an effective, research-backed way to improve some aspect of your community and submitting your findings to City Council or other decision-makers; Assisting with an environmental study
SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNERS
In School:
-
CAS Support Meetings
-
Honor Societies; Key Club
-
Communities in Schools
-
PTSA, SCA
In the Community:
-
Neighborhood/Community associations
-
Churches (Outbound activiites)
GLOBAL ISSUES
The U.N. has created 17 Sustainable Development Goals that focus on targets for global improvement to meet the challenges of this century. These goals touch every aspect of daily life: perhaps you will identify one that will spark a CAS experience or CAS project; perhaps this spark will carry forward in your life after high school through continued advocacy and service or even in your career.
Even though these goals are highlighted with the information about Service, you might find that they inspire your creativity or activity as well. Remember: your CAS program is yours, so the way you apply ideas like these to CAS is up to you.
Like an idea but not sure where to start? Check the UN Sustainable Development Goals website. You can also do a search to see if there is a non-profit or business in the community that does work in that area. Plus: don't forget that your CAS Advisor and your teachers can be resources for ideas of where to look.
