Guideline for Community Service

Community Service is the act of physically performing an act for a person or a group of people for the betterment of their community without any form of compensation.

1.  DeBakey students are required to have at least 100 community service hours in which the student will physically perform an act for the betterment of Houston and surrounding communities.  This is a requirement to graduate with a DeBakey diploma.  Remember, colleges look at community service and how you give back to your community when choosing a candidate to accept into their school.

2.  There are four ways to report hours:

a. Letter on letterhead from the location where you served giving the dates served, total hours, your name, and signed by the person responsible for you when you served.  This person should be an adult, not another student.

b. A certificate from the organization with the dates served, total hours, your name, and signed by the person responsible for you when you served.

c. A DeBakey verification form with a business card attached from the person who signs the form for you.

d.  An email from an organization sponsor or teacher confirming the hours, activity, and date of the activity.

3. If you receive a certificate for your service, make sure it has the above information as well as the physical address and phone number of the location. If it does not, please include a business card with the address and phone number of the location.

4. Every person is responsible for his/her own hours, even when serving with a group or a club from DeBakey. Turn in your own verification forms in person to Mrs. Niaves in Room 123.  There is a grade level volunteer basket on the front table in my office.  

5. Make copies of all verification forms that you turn in for credit. Give the copies to Mrs. Niaves and keep the originals at home in a safe place.  I can not provide copies to the students when you need to submit them to colleges or scholarships.  YOU NEED TO KEEP A COPY OF ALL YOUR VOLUNTEER HOURS!!!!! 

6. It is a good idea to turn in verification forms at the end of each semester. Don’t wait until the yearly turn-in-date!

7. Please write your year of graduation at the top of every verification form that you submit.

8. If you have any questions about what an acceptable type of service is, contact Ms. Niaves. Room 123.

9. Talk with Ms. Niaves personally before you do community service outside the Houston Metropolitan area.

10. The first 75 hours must be done in the Houston Metropolitan area. Give back to our community!

11.  All volunteer hours must be turned in no later than January of your senior year!

12.  Important--There is absolutely no student that can give volunteer hours to another student.  It must be an adult, teacher, or sponsor!!!!

13.  All teachers and/or club or organization sponsors must get approval for volunteer hours prior to awarding volunteer hours to students for each activity.  There is a Google form that the sponsor/teacher has to fill out to get approval.  Mrs. Niaves will then send approval back with the number of hours that get approved.

14.  There are no community service hours for attending a class or training sessions like CPR.

15.  Teen Cert will only get 15 hours if completed in the Health Science classes.  The student does not get all 30 hours.

16.  You can not get community hours from simple donations in the school period.  For example, a student can not just give donations of toiletries for the homeless, but can donate and put together care packages for the homeless and distribute those in a shelter.  DeBakey wants to stress the act of doing something for the betterment of someone else, not just buying their way out of service hours.

17.  The activities in the school for enjoyment, like I-Fest and Field day, do not earn student volunteer hours.

18.  Shadowing experiences do not count for volunteer hours.  Shadowing benefits only the student.  It does not give back to others.

19.  Students can not volunteer for their own parents.  You should help your parents on your own merit.  You do not get community service hours for cleaning your room or cleaning out the garage.

Volunteer Form