Students in Banner County may need to put in a little extra effort to reach graduation, but they don’t seem to mind, in fact, according to principal Travis Miller, it was their idea.

If the Banner County Board of Education passes a community service requirement, students will be expected to complete a total of 40 hours of service between enrollment in ninth grade and graduation.

The students expressed an interest in service-learning through a mock election set up in 2008 by the Secretary of State, Miller said.

Once the interest was conveyed, the student body took it to the student council, who then approached the school board in a meeting over the summer of 2009.

The proposed community service requirement is expected to be voted on at the regular board meeting Monday, Feb. 14 at the Banner County school.

Community service opportunities can include any volunteer activity that benefits the community, is under the umbrella of a service organization or school, and is not a normal extra-curricular activity.

Some examples include historical societies, volunteer departments such as the fire department, or the public school foundation.

Expanding the student’s involvement, encouraging volunteerism, and developing student’s awareness of community is the focus of the proposed requirement.

Neighboring communities may benefit as well. Banner County schools  will encourage service in neighboring counties and cities as well.

A few examples of services that will count include, but are not limited to, 4-H, FFA, Boy/Girl Scouts, National Honor Society, and blood or hair donations.

Some activities that will not count are, student aid services, service done for a for-profit organization, court-ordered service, or service for which one is compensated in another way, including but not limited to monetary compensation.

The proposal includes research from the University of Michigan in which the benefits of community service on the performing students was studied.

One benefit of service-learning is a positive effect on personal development, such as increasing social and personal responsibility and an increase in self esteem.

Service learning was also shown to provide more opportunity to become a contributing member of the community and neighborhood.

Increasing social and academic skills is another effect of community service on students, as well as increasing positive feelings towards self and others.

Service to others has been shown to improve communication skills, increase cooperation, and increase ones sense of being connected with the community.

Exposure to a more diverse world, an increase in civic awareness, and development of problem solving skills have also been linked to service learning.

The vote will determine if Banner County high school students will be expected to complete service learning activities, however, the proposal states that in many ways students are already performing these duties.

The Banner County High School Board of Education believes that students have long provided social and entertainment value for the community and others.

Students who participate in sports and extracurricular activities are providing entertainment for the spectators and many serve the community at concession stands as well.

The board states in the proposal that the requirement would mirror their mission to “Prepare all the students of today for the world of tomorrow” and that some colleges currently require service projects for credit toward degree programs.

To that end, if this requirement passes the students of Banner County High School will be preparing themselves for a productive adulthood. They will be taking one more step towards becoming the leaders of tomorrow.