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2026-2027 Pennington's Parent Playbook

Student Community Service Examples

Animals and Environment

• Volunteer at animal shelter/pound as a dog-walker or cat-sitter (may require and application). Does NOT include fostering an animal in the students home.
• Donate needed supplies to the PWC Animal Shelter or Rescue Organization such as SADSAC (up to two hours based on donating four items).
• Participate in campaign for spaying/neutering pets.
• Help clean up parks, neighborhood common areas, playgrounds, creeks, roadsides (with supervision).
• Participate in recycling projects.
• Participate in Earth Day/Arbor Day activities, plant a tree. 

Health and Well-Being

• Make cards for children in the hospital.
• Create motivational posters to encourage positive health and hygiene habits.
• Create a school-wide kindness project to spread cheer and kindness.
• Volunteer at a daycare center or Sunday School (older children only).
• Provide babysitting services free of charge during school-sponsored events (middle school students only, with supervision).

 Poverty, Hunger, and Homelessness

• Collect clothes, coats, blankets for the underprivileged.
• Participate in canned goods collection drive.
• Volunteer with soup kitchens or food programs (with supervision).
• Volunteer at a homeless shelter (older children only with supervision).
• Participate in "Operation Christmas Child" or "Angel Trees" which send needed items and presents to underprivileged children in third world countries, or similar drives.
• Participate as a family or class in sponsoring a child in a third world country.
• Donate an animal to an international family in poverty through Heifer or a similar organization.

Civic Engagement

• Create posters or write postcards encouraging people to vote in an upcoming election.
• Attend a PWCS School Board meeting and lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
• Volunteer with a political campaign during election season (older students).
• Write a letter lobbying a local, state, or federal elected official about an issue you feel strongly about.

Citizenship/Community

• Volunteer for a Scout event (i.e. Pinewood Derby) for a pack or troop you do not belong.
• Visit a nursing home and read or talk with resident(s).
• Rake leaves and/or mow grass for a neighbor.
• Take baked goods or cards to a fire or police station to thank them for their service.
• Make decoration for a nursing home.
• Help a snior citizen put up holiday decorations, then help take them down after the holidays.
• Do a living history report--interview senior citizens, then talk to classes about how things are the same or different.

Community Service Acceptable School Projects

• Participate in Beautification Day or independently clean up the fields and/or playgrounds after school hours.
• Book Buddies--read with younger students.
• Tutor younger children at school.
• School Donations--hours may be awarded for donation of items to programs at Pennington or in the community (see below for more info).
• Volunteering to count/deliver donated goods or organizing a neighborhood-wide effort to support a school drive.

Donation/Drives

• Food Drives: One hour awarded for every four items donated, with a maximum of two hours awarded per drive.
• Book Drives: One hour awarded for every four books donated, with a maximum of two hours awarded per drive.
• Toy Drives: One half-hour awarded for every item donated, with a maximum of two hours per drive.
• Clothing Drives: One hour awarded for every two clothing items donated, with a maximum of two hours awarded per drive.