Frederick County Public School Service Learning

In the spring of 1993, the Maryland State Board of Education issued a requirement that all Maryland high school graduates perform 75 hours of Community Service/Service Learning prior to being issued a Maryland high school diploma.

The Maryland State Board of Education allowed local subdivisions to submit alternative plans for the 75 hour requirement. Frederick County Public Schools submitted an alternative plan that infuses service learning with existing curriculum. The plan was approved by the State Board of Education, and specified that all Service Learning activities incorporated in the designated service learning courses include:

1. Preparation by the student for the service learning activity (learning about the agency or project he/she is volunteering for, how it benefits the community, what challenges it faces, etc.)
2. Action - either direct, indirect, or advocacy
3. Reflection on the action or activity (giving the student the opportunity to think about how he/she made and can continue to make a difference, what positive and negative things happened, etc. using written, artistic or oral methods)

Students who perform seventy five hours of service outside of the FCPS service learning curriculum are eligible to receive the Frederick County Public Schools Meritorious Service Award, which can be included in the Graduate Portfolio. Criteria for awarding this certificate will include (but are not limited to):

• A sustained commitment to service (in the spirit of the 75 hour requirement) on one or a series of projects
• A demonstrated benefit to the community
• Evidence of advanced planning and goal setting
• Evidence of individual initiative and action
• Evidence of individual reflection on benefits to self and others.

All of Volunteer Frederick's youth service programs count toward the 75 hours required for the Meritorious Service Award. In the case of students transferring into FCPS, our programs will count toward the 75 hours required for graduation.

Need more information?

Contact the appropriate high school Service Learning Coordinator:

• Brunswick: Bill Turney, 240-236-8551
• Catoctin: Lisa Bruck, 240-236-8156
• Frederick: Alyce Luck, 240-236-7114
• Thomas Johnson: Steve Nibbs, 240-236-8233
• Linganore: Jeremy Brown, 240-236-7796
• Middletown: Nancy Newkirk, 240-236-7559
• Tuscarora: Arnie Coleman, 240-236-6417
• Walkersville: Barry Burch, 240-236-7297
• Urbana: Terry Hershey, 240-236-7693

Supervisor for FCPS Student Service Learning:

Max White

115 E Church St.

Frederick, MD 21701

301-696-6925