Service Learning

To complete the minimum requirement of 40 hours in the Community Service category, you must complete hours in at least three of the following subcategories:

• Youth and ederly
• Education
• Environment
• Animals
• Events
• Government, veterans, or military service agency

Hours must be completed in at least three of the listed categories. You can spread the hours across the categories in any way; however, at least one hour of service must be worked in at least three categories selected.

Keep going to other categories! In addition to campus activities, you can also participate or attend engagement opportunities in your local area.

To complete the minimum requirement of 40 hours in the College Service category, you must complete hours in at least three of the following subcategories:

• Department
• Grounds
• Performing and visual arts
• Maintenance/janitorial
• Security
• Athletics
• Agriculture

Any combination of hours can be combined to meet 40 hours; however, at least one hour of service must be worked in three subcategories.

Hours can be completed at Indian Hills or a place of education in your area of living (pre-school to college or university).

Community Engagement: 20 Events

To complete the minimum requirement of 20 events in the College Engagement category, you must complete hours at least three of the following subcategories:

• Community diversity
• Performing and visual arts
• Education
• Life, nature, and environment
• Health and wellness

Any combination of hours can be combined to meet 20 hours; however, at least one hour of engagement must be worked in three different subcategories.

The events you attend can be on campus or in your local area.

• First, add President’s Student Service Award to MyHills and obtain a log sheet.
• Second, identify and contact potential volunteer and service opportunities.
• Then, start engaging in your community!

There are two pieces to tracking your 100 hours:

First, you'll complete the log sheet that can be found on MyHills and at OneStop. Please note that this does require that you receive a signature from a manager or designee that can confirm your participation or attendance.

Second, you'll submit a short journal entry in MyHills for each activity or event. You'll include a pdf of the log sheet along with the journal entry. You'll need to make sure that you add the President’s Student Service Award to MyHills.

Once your log sheet is full, submit it to [email protected] or OneStop. IHCC staff will check your hours.

You can follow along using the "Hours Tracking” option in MyHills.

Log sheets are available in MyHills under Hours Tracking and at OneStop.

Journal entries are more than a chronology of events. It's a way of capturing what you observe and what you learn as you participate.

At times, you may want to speculate as to why something that you have observed firsthand is as it is. You might derive your explanation from a lecture you have heard, a book you have read, or your own reservoir of "common sense." Having posited an interpretation, you will want to continue with your detailed observations on the topic to see if you want to stick with your hypothesis or alter it.

You can also use your journal to make judgments about something in your community service environment. There may be people’s actions that you find ineffective, ways of doing things that are not as you would do them, work environments in which you would not want to remain. These judgments will help you learn about yourself, your values and your limits.

You'll find a list of potential options for each category in MyHills, as well as announcements of upcoming events that qualify.

We strongly encourage you to find additional opportunities across campus and in your local community. Just email the Service Learning team to verify if an event or activity is appropriate for the program.

You can view or download the instructions here:

How to Add President's Student Service Award Tracking to MyHills

Please note: You need to complete the survey in MyHills before you can see any of the material.

The President’s Student Service Award is very flexible. You can complete it during your time at IHCC, in one year or more.

Most activities which you are not being paid for will work. For example, if you work at a daycare, this cannot count towards your 100 hours.

Also be mindful that the hours themselves can only count in one category. For example, if you help your local elementary school plant flowers, this can only count in either the volunteer category or the college service category.

Staff will verify your participation by contacting the manager/designee on the log sheet. Feel free to email [email protected] with any questions.

The idea behind the President’s Student Service Award is that you can participate wherever you are. Opportunities in locations outside of Ottumwa and Centerville are included on the lists within MyHills.

In addition, the College Service category can be completed at ANY educational institution. While we want you to connect to IHCC, we understand that may not be possible. Our goal is to simply get you out into your community — wherever that may be!

Yes! You can absolutely use activities that you are completing for classes or student clubs.

Just be mindful that the hours themselves can only count in one category. For example: If you help your local elementary school plant flowers, this can only count in either the volunteer category or the college service category.