Service Opportunities

John Carroll High School: Faith in Action – JCHS Christian Service Program

2022-2023 School Year

Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.  Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied.” – Luke 6: 20-21

John Carroll High School will create and implement a comprehensive Christian service program that seeks to provide for the kinds of powerful interpersonal experiences that can change the hearts of our students and teach them to readily see the dignity of every human person.  This program will differentiate the level and style of service for each grade level by designating service as either outreach service, service completed for one’s own church and school, or support service. Throughout a student’s four years at JCHS, he/she will be challenged to perform acts of service designed as outreach service that constitute interpersonal service to the poor and vulnerable through community organizations. Our goal is to help students see service as an opportunity to encounter, rather than just to complete hours for a requirement. 

• OUTREACH service is done by giving service person-to-person to individuals or organizations who are in need within the larger community. Examples of OUTREACH service are:
  • Serving people who are hungry and/or homeless
  • Providing companionship for people at assisted living facilities
  • Mentoring children at a summer camp or in a sports league
  • Tutoring people with special learning needs
  • Volunteering at a non-profit organization such as United Against Poverty, Treasure Coast Food Bank, Sarah’s Kitchen, Mustard Seed, Hope’s Closet, Heathcote Botanical Gardens
  • Volunteering at an event such as a fundraiser for a non-profit organization or church 

• CHURCH/SCHOOL/SUPPORT service is done to support and enhance the mission of one’s own school and/or one’s church community or by collecting donations for the larger community.  Examples of CHURCH/SCHOOL/SUPPORT service are:
  • Volunteer at a JCHS event such as receptions, Open House, club events, annual gala 
  • Assist the JCHS faculty/staff with extracurricular activities
  • Assist the JCHS athletic department at sporting practices and games
  • Volunteer in a church ministry such as altar serving, lectoring, or singing in the choir 
  • Gathering supplies for a pregnancy care center
  • Gathering canned goods for a food drive
  • Making care packages for troops overseas

**Work done for family members, although constituting Christian service, does not qualify for the John Carroll High Christian School Service Program.**

Service Requirements by Grade Level for the JCHS Christian Service Program:

All students are responsible for completing 25 total service hours each school year as a part of the JCHS Christian Service Program. For each grade level, students are required to meet a minimum standard of outreach hours, as specified below. However, it is the school’s sincere hope that students begin to see their Christian service as an extension of their personal faith lives and therefore exceed these base requirements.  We challenge all students to find a personal passion for service and respond generously with their time and talents! 

9th: 

• OUTREACH: minimum of 5 hours

10th:

• OUTREACH: minimum of 10 hours

11th:

• OUTREACH: minimum of 15 hours 

12th:

• OUTREACH: minimum of 20 hours 

**No “banking” of service hours to overlap years; but can do it over the summer for the following school year.**

Completion of these hours will constitute 10% of a student’s total religion grade for the school year.  Religion teachers will check student’s progress at the end of the first semester (for a minimum between 12.5-25 hours ) and at the end of the second semester (for a total of 25+ hours at that time).  Grades will be assigned on a total completion basis. 

BRIGHT FUTURES: 

In order to qualify for the Bright Futures scholarship, students must complete 100 service hours by the time of graduation.  Recently, Governor DeSantis has expanded this program to include students’ paid work hours.  Please note that paid work hours for students cannot count towards their requirements for the JCHS Christian Service Program.

• All Outreach hours can count towards both the Bright Future requirements and the JCHS Christian Service Program.
• Beginning with the Class of 2026, Church/School/Support hours count solely to the JCHS Christian Service Program and will not be included for Bright Futures, per state requirements and guidelines. 

X2VOL:

JCHS partners with a student service tracking site, x2VOL.com, in order to organize and track student volunteer hours.  x2VOL is the leading service hour tracking program in the country, with both a web-based application and an iPad application for student use.  It is used by Catholic schools around the country to help students develop their commitment to service.

• Our school  utilizes an online tracking and reporting system for student service hours that allows us to eliminate our paper tracking process and allows nonprofit organizations to post service opportunities for our students and verify their hours online.
• Once they complete their service hours, students will log them into x2VOL for final “approval”; religion teachers will then see these hours and assign a grade accordingly.