Youth Volunteering: Do You Need Community Service Hours for School?
As Spring Break approaches, Volunteer Alexandria will provide an opportunity for students to serve their community while exploring future careers.
By Cordell Fields
Alexandria, VA – As Spring Break approaches, Volunteer Alexandria will provide an opportunity for students to serve their community while exploring future careers. Breaks with Impact (BWI) is a service-learning program for middle and high school students. Participants learn about issues facing the City of Alexandria and how to help. One past participant said that the experience was rewarding, and she learned a lot.
BWI is scheduled for Tuesday through Thursday, March 30th to April 1st, during the week of ACPS Spring Break. BWI participants will focus on community service, the environment, and food insecurity.
On Tuesday, March 30th, students will hear from social service agencies and the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. On Wednesday, participants will participate in park reclamation and environmental awareness at a local park. Thursday will focus on volunteer activities dealing with food insecurity in the city and how nonprofits address it. Each session starts at 1:00 pm and concludes at 5:30 pm.
BWI participants who volunteered at a food pantry last year said they “got to see the direct impact that making the food had for others and really like working with people.” Another participant noted about the first session that she “loved learning about all the issues in Alexandria and I’m really happy [I] signed up for this program.”
Volunteer Alexandria will strictly enforce COVID-19 safety protocols during Breaks With Impact, including physical distancing, mask-wearing at all times, and a hybrid of in-person and virtual activity. We will provide extra masks, hand sanitizer, soap and water, gloves, and breaks every hour. BWI participants will receive 4.5 hours of service hours at completion of their day.
For more information on BWI, visit our website at www.volunteeralexandria.org/bwi or e-mail us at [email protected]. You may also call our office at (703) 836-2176.
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