ServeAACPS, the service-learning portal, is an interactive web platform that currently provides high school students with options for service-learning opportunities all over the county and beyond.

The portal allows partners- who can be businesses, non-profits, communities, or club advisors and teachers in schools- to post volunteer opportunities. Once these volunteer opportunities are posted, registered students can essentially "shop" and sign-up for varying opportunities that allow them to explore and serve their communities according to their interests!   

While these "above-and-beyond" service-learning experiences will not generally count toward the 75-hour service-learning graduation requirement, participation in the independent service experiences that are posted in the portal will:

• make students eligible for county-wide recognition

• expose students to relationships with the community -- and with partners from the private, public, and non-profit sector

• allow students to explore potential career fields in a fun, low-stakes environment

• provide an electronic record of all participating students' service experiences, which will be readily accessible and useful when applying for internships, colleges, and even clubs and honors societies in high school.

Most importantly, research shows that students who engage in independent service opportunities, particularly those that they choose based on interests, are more likely to develop life-long, engaged relationships with their local to global communities.

The ultimate goal of our service learning program is to help students become an integral part of their civic surroundings and help them appreciate the role of service in a democratic society. Using the Service Learning Portal, students can volunteer with organizations outside of the classroom to improve their academic skills. While serving, students apply what they learn in school to real-world issues; then reflect on their experience to reinforce the link between their service and their learning.