1. Community Participation
Making a Difference

2. Purpose
Learning through experience can be the most powerful learning of all
This requirement gives students the opportunity to actually experience the concepts learned in school.

3. Acceptable Activities
Read the list in the instructions carefully
The amount of “event credit” is determined by the amount of participation
Please check BEFORE you participate in an activity to be sure it will count

4. Unacceptable Activities
“Nice thing to do, but nothing to do with class.”
This is the determining factor used to declare an activity acceptable or not
We are not discouraging you from doing “nice” things, but they do not allow you to “experience” class concepts

5. Unacceptable Examples
Volunteering at your church, the hospital, or your kindergarten teacher’s classroom are very “nice” things to do, but they do not connect to any learning from Government or Economics

6. Acceptable Example
Attending a protest or gathering petitions for the upcoming elections
Organizing a meeting or event that relates directly to class information
Starting a club on campus to fight drug use, ease traffic at lunch/after school, or……
All these examples go beyond being a good person and involve concepts relevant to your classes

7. Level 1 – Sit and Watch School Board Meeting – 1 credit
City Council – 1 credit
Home Owners Association – 1 credit
Town Hall meeting – 1 credit
Commission meeting – 1 credit
School Site Council meeting – 1 credit
Above activities = 6 credits

8. Level 2 Example - Participate
City Hall meeting and write letter – 2 credits
Amnesty International Presentation and letter writing campaign – 2 credits
Community meeting – attend and ask a question of the speaker – 2 credits
Above events = 6 credits

9. Level 3 – Creating Change – Host/Organize
Example – Joining a Committee that want to stop Teenage Alcohol Abuse and create awareness.
Student helps organize events, town hall meeting, speaks to City Council and works with police department.
Provides to teacher ongoing activity evidence.
Above event = 6 credits

10. Level 3 Examples- Form your own group
Sticker Shock - Stop underage access
Teens and Alcohol – Town Hall Forum
Restaurant patio - anti-smoking
Solutions for Change – Adopt a Family for Holidays /Research Poverty
Parking Lot Safety – A lesson in beauracracy.

11. Level #3 – Join a group and get involved
Youth Coalitions from City government
Surfrider Foundation
Amnesty Internation
Adelante Mujer – Empowering young women
Elac Meetings
Other? What is your interest/passion?

12. Negatives
It takes some of your time you would most likely use some other way
It can be boring depending on what you choose
It can be stressful, especially for those of you who wait until the last minute

13. Positives Become a part of something you never knew was available
Understand class concepts better because you “saw” them with your own eyes
Make contacts for Letters of Recommendation
Use hours as examples, concrete details in other classwork

14. Honesty and Integrity Expectations on Conduct at events
Lateness, Cell phones, homework, sleeping, talking to your peers are not acceptable at events. This seems obvious, but it happens.
Cheating – forging signatures or not attending the activity you said you had attended is not acceptable.
Cheating – results in an automatic failing of the project AND the class.

15. Websites www.rbvhs.org or ranchosocialstudies.org
Go to Social Studies site and print out your own copies of Community Participation forms.
Teacher websites – check regularly on your teacher’s website – new activities may be listed. However, ultimately, up to you to find events!

16. And finally…this can be fun and rewarding!
Try to choose events that mean something to you.
Go prepared to your events. Go on mapquest or google maps for directions.
Look up the agenda to a meeting prior to attending meeting.
Ask teachers when you need clarity!
Share with others what you learn!

17. Pick the right thing.
Don’t settle.