78% of Eighth Graders Partake in Community Service Pilot Program

Since January, 78 percent of Pelham eighth graders have participated in a pilot volunteer program that may become a mandatory initiative, the Board of Education announced on Monday night.

To impress the importance of giving back to the community, the Pelham Middle School developed a trial volunteer program this year that matched eighth graders with local service opportunities. Students completed between four and 10 hours of community service at a variety of outlets, from helping out at churches to completing global warming research. Principal Joseph Longobardi shared the participants’ enthusiasm in an effort to convince board members to require students to complete 40 hours of service by high school graduation.

“I think it’s been a great start and that you’ll be impressed with the statistics,” Longobardi told the Board of Education.

Of the more than 200 eighth graders polled, 65 percent agreed that community service should be mandated.

“It helps the community and the people around us have better lives,” one student responded in the anonymous survey. “It keeps the chain of good things going.”

While parents, teachers and board members expressed approval of the program, the board said it still needs more time to consider whether or not it will give the initiative the green light.

“I would like to see a little more before voting ‘yay,’” remarked Robert Eicher, President of the Board of the Education. “This isn’t volunteering, it’s learning in a different way.”

Some board members mentioned in past meetings that forcing kids to volunteer, isn’t really volunteering at all. Others mentioned that providing the structure, however, will give young students the experience they need to realize that giving up their time for others is worthwhile.

“By making [volunteering] mandatory, we’re putting a framework for kids who don’t know what to do,” remarked board member Will Cavanagh.