Many of the students at Palm Harbor University High School need to earn a specific amount of service hours for their Bright Futures or programs. This is a look into what places the students can volunteer at.
There are many different requirements for each student in regard to the medical program and the Bright Futures scholarship. Some students may need 100-200 service or volunteer hours. Some students don’t need any if they aren’t planning to work toward the scholarships. Volunteer hours can make students look good when applying for colleges. You can earn percentages of your tuition to be paid for with the service hours and other requirements. There are loads of different types of places to volunteer within different categories. Such as volunteering in animal welfare, childhood obesity/ promoting healthy lifestyles, domestic violence/ anti-bullying, education/ developmental learning, elder care, environmental protection, community engagement, healthcare, human rights, physical/ mental challenges, mentoring, poverty/low-income/homelessness, and protection/ safety. There are loads of different organizations to get your volunteer hours at and it may even be something you like doing. If you check out the Bright Futures tab on the PHUHS website under the resources, then you will be brought to a page with tons of different locations and places that could use your help. A student at PHUHS has been working at the YMCA and the Feast food pantry. Maddy Kloote (24’) helps volunteer at the YMCA every Monday night for a club called “Teen Leaders.” Kloote said in an interview “ I have earned over 100 hours and plan to continue for the rest of high school.” “I would recommend starting now at the YMCA because it is really easy and the people who work there are nice. The kids summer camp is the easiest way to earn a lot of hours over the summer” stated Kloote. She is earning these service hours for bright futures scholarship and the medical program. Another place Kloote earned hours was through the FEAST food pantry. It is an organization to help give food to people in poverty or who cannot afford it. These organizations are great for getting out of your comfort zone and connect with new and unfamiliar people. These can give you great skills to take with you for the rest of your life. Take a look at the PHUHS website for more information on where to volunteer.