Dear TEACHER_NAME,

I support your idea for having kids do community service. I think we could all really help the community by doing these tasks like helping the elderly or cleaning up if we tried. I don't think that some students would appreciate having to do these things, though. Some kids enjoy just staying at home or hanging out with friends and don't realize that they should help their community or even the world! Kids don't realize how much of an impact they could have on their community.

I feel like requiring community service for all kids would help them realize that they could make a positive change and they may even enjoy themselves. But that really only goes for some kids. Some kids don't want to help. Some kids believe that it could ruin their plans or it could ruin their 'reputation'. I don't think they realize how positive community service is. Community service can help build a person's character and get a better understanding of the world. It can help them realize how bad the world is and how much help it really needs or how bad some people have it. I don't think kids understand this. They must think it's some big joke.

Perhaps you shouldn't require it. Perhaps you should just start a community service group that cleans up litter in parks or around the school, or they can help raise money for the poor or do canned food drives or auctions. Community service isn't necessarily going out there and doing something big to help someone. The group can do a bunch of little tasks such as volunteer at a soup kitchen or bring food to the homeless. Everything makes a difference. And if not many people join the group, then that's fine, forcing someone to do something won't mean they'll enjoy it or do a good job at it. All that matters is that some kids want to help the community and that your school helps them do that. It would look good for the school and for the kids, as well. This can be a very positive change in the community's atmosphere.

I don't believe that these kids don't want to help, I just don't think that they understand how much they are able to do or how big an impact they can make. Maybe it is your job to help them realize that, maybe you can help them realize that after all.