Volunteer Program FAQs

None. The only requirement for volunteer hours at BHS is for National Honor Society (NHS) applicants and members. Laura Turngren is the NHS advisor and can answer any questions you may have regarding NHS membership. In addition, If you are enrolled in the Harper Promise Program, Harper’s community service requirement is 5 hours during SECOND semester of freshman year, 10 hours during sophomore year, 15 hours during junior year and 20 hours during senior year. The hours you volunteer for the Harper Promise program are also eligible for BHS volunteer credit.

Yes. For every 30 approved volunteer hours you document, ¼ credit will be added to your transcript, up to 120 hours for a full credit. So, 30 hours = ¼ credit, 60 hours = ½ credit, 90 hours = ¾ credit and 120 hours = 1 full credit, accumulated over four years of high school. This credit cannot be used toward graduation requirements. It is strictly extra credit. You are encouraged to continue volunteering beyond 120 hours. You may qualify for an award or for increased scholarship opportunities, which would both require documentation of your service.

Anything on the BHS published list of Student Volunteer Opportunities is approved for school credit. This list can be found on the Volunteer Program homepage. All activities must take place outside of school hours, or during your free periods. Students can not receive volunteer credit for taking time off from school or class.

Any volunteering activity which is not on the BHS list must be pre-approved to ensure that it will qualify for school credit. You must fill out a Volunteer Activity Pre-Approval form. Completed forms must be returned to the Counseling Resource Center or emailed to Mrs. Horcher at lhorcher@barrington220.org. Due to the issue of verifiability and safety, no volunteering may take place in a private home, including the student’s own home.

NO. Any hours that are volunteered at the high school for a club or a sports team are considered “school service” hours. These hours look great on a high school resume, but do NOT qualify as “Community Service” hours. We encourage and appreciate all volunteering, however, not all service hours will be approved for Community Service hours for your high school transcript. Hours can be earned for volunteering for non-profit sports and clubs that assist elementary and middle school aged students (groups that include high school age will not apply). If you have any questions, prior to doing service, complete the Volunteer Activity Pre- Approval Form or see Mrs. Horcher in the CRC.