Do you want more Student Service Learning hours?  Whether you’re trying to get the 75 you need for graduation or the 260 for the purple tassel at graduation, you came to the right place.  Getting SSL hours can seem like a daunting task, but once you get those first few, the ball starts rolling, and before you know it you’ve reached your goal.

There are SSL opportunities just about everywhere.  If you regularly check your school email (which is probably a good habit to create), you’ve probably seen the emails from college and career advisor Sarah Kessler and SSL coordinator Krista Jiron about all the SSL opportunities for students.  If you haven’t seen them, go to your MCPS gmail and search “SSL,” and search through them.

A great website to find SSL opportunities is the Montgomery County Volunteer Center website.  It’s super easy to navigate, as all you need to do is go to the homepage, enter your zip code, how far you’re willing to travel, and you’ll have a large list of volunteer opportunities to choose from. 

On the list, you’ll see numerous kinds of volunteer activities.  Scroll through it and narrow down your search by finding things that interest you.  For example, if you’re a person who likes plants and nature, sign yourself up for the ongoing Tree Planting events run by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.  If you like singing, sign yourself up to go Christmas Caroling.

Another great place to find opportunities is the Montgomery Parks website.  Go to the homepage, click Volunteer, click All Volunteer Opportunities, and you’ll find yet another list of great SSL Opportunities.  The events on the Montgomery Parks website are run by the county, and most of them will have you outside working in nature.  

Getting your SSL hours can be hard work, especially if you haven’t started yet.  But there are so many opportunities all around us, and if you work hard you can reach your goals with hours to spare.