The Most Valuable Class: Community Engagement by Elle

The Most Valuable Class: Community Engagement by Elle - January 2023 Scholarship Essay

I believe that community engagement should be a required class for all high school students, because it teaches the value behind philanthropic activities and raises awareness of local issues. Within this class, students can gain leadership skills through public service. When people are taught at a young age how to interact as a community, it creates a more responsible, close-knit society. In addition to this, it allows children to gain knowledge on volunteering to better not only themselves, but others as well. This class will provide students with the life skills necessary for success in college and beyond. Community engagement adds character to a person: it is a representation of their reliability and trustworthiness.

I also believe that teaching these values in a school setting will encourage students to maintain good grades, because it will push them to want to be better people and thrive in their communities. I also think that this class would be successful, because it is a good demonstration of how to problem solve and how to contribute to society. In the classroom, guest speakers could frequently be brought in to talk to the students. These people include but are not limited to business owners, government officials, volunteer coordinators, etc. They could be inspirational and talk to the students about their roles in the community and how they make an impact daily. Another part of the class would be field trips. These could be to government buildings to learn about leadership positions, or to a local food bank to volunteer to package food boxes. I believe that this class would be highly interactive and would involve a lot of community projects.

Soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and any ways of interacting or volunteering to help the poverty-stricken would be good field trips for this class. I think that interacting with the less fortunate people within our communities tends to be very beneficial because it allows people to appreciate what they have in life and not take it for granted. These types of volunteering opportunities also demonstrate how not everyone lives the same life. Often times when you are around the same people all the time you do not realize that others are not as fortunate. I believe that volunteering would be an essential part of this class.

In conclusion, requiring a community engagement class for all high schoolers would be beneficial for their futures, because it teaches the importance of contributing to your community. I believe that there is something for everybody in this class, and everyone will enjoy it, because it allows them to interact with their friends while also bettering their community.