Student and Family Support and Engagement

Student Service Learning (SSL)

 

Student Service Learning Essentials

Information for students and families, including how to find community organizations and SSL opportunities.

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New2 How to check your SSL hours on MyMCPS portal

How can MCPS students earn SSL hours?

 

SSL flowchart

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NEW TEMPORARY AMENDED SSL INFORMATION
MCPS SSL Guidelines for Virtual/Remote SSL Opportunities

Students can continue to engage in MCPS SSL opportunities during the summer, including select virtual/remote opportunities that follow the temporarily amended guidelines. All SSL opportunities can be found at Montgomery County Volunteer Center (MCVC). These opportunities will be tagged with the blue MCPS SSL banner and graduation cap icon. Nonprofit organizations and opportunities that are not identified with a graduation cap on the MCVC website require pre-approval. During the summer break, MCPS Form 560-50, Individual Student Service Learning Request, must be scanned and emailed to SSL@mcpsmd.org and approved by the SSL office in advance of service.

To meet the service-learning needs of our students during this time period, students can now earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours for virtual/remote service completed from home under the sponsorship of an approved nonprofit organization or MCPS school staff member. Students may engage in designated virtual/remote MCPS SSL opportunities until schools return to normal status. The new guidelines have been created to ensure that any virtual/remote service during this time maintains the safety and privacy of our students and adheres to the proper supervision and monitoring needed for SSL as a state graduation requirement.

Reminder: All SSL forms for service completed from the summer of 2019, 1st semester, and 2nd semester should be emailed to the school’s SSL coordinator by the systemwide due date of June 5, 2020, in order to be documented on Quarter 4 report cards. SSL documentation for continued service through the summer of 2020 will be accepted in September 2020. Students should email the completed SSL form directly to the school’s SSL coordinator:

April 14th UPDATE: The State Board of Education voted to waive the requirements for SSL hours for high school seniors. Read the full community message.

Want to learn more? See this presentation detailing the state of Maryland and MCPS requirements for SSL, how students can earn SSL hours, how students can access virtual/remote opportunities while schools are closed, and an overview of the MCPS SSL program and its resources.

Systemwide Documentation and Award Timelines


SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT DOCUMENTATION TIMELINE
Time Frame of Service Documentation Due Date
Service completed during the summer September 27, 2019
Service completed during the summer and 1st semester January 3, 2020
Service completed during the summer, 1st semester, and 2nd semester June 5, 2020
SYSTEMWIDE SSL AWARD TIMELINE
Award Documentation Due Date
Documentation that qualifies seniors for Certificates of Meritorious Service April 22, 2020
Documentation that qualifies middle school students for the Superintendent’s SSL Award. This award is given to students who meet the 75 hour graduation requirement during middle school and is only awarded once. April 22, 2020

All SSL Forms for service completed any time during the current school year and the summer before the current school year are REQUIRED to be submitted to the school SSL coordinator no later than the first Friday in June.

SSL Pre-Approval Requests

Nonprofit organizations that are not identified with a graduation cap graduation cap on the Montgomery County Volunteer Center (MCVC) website require pre-approval.

The MCPS Form 560-50, Individual Student Service Learning Request, must be submitted and approved by the school-based SSL Coordinator in advance of service. All pre-approval requests must be submitted in a timely manner. There is a two-week allowance for school-based SSL Coordinators to review the request for approval or denial based on compliance with MCPS SSL Program. During the summer break, requests can be scanned and emailed to SSL@mcpsmd.org.

 

SSL Opportunities

 

SSL Forms

 

Contact Us

 

 

News and Highlights

ELO/SAIL Extended Learning Opportunities
Attention middle and high school students! Interested in volunteering with the ELO SAIL, ELO STEP, and PRE-K/Head Start programs? Any middle school or high school student can volunteer to support the educational environment and student experience of the ELO classrooms.

NEW UPDATE:  In light of the current restrictions in place to ensure public health and safety, MCPS will not be recruiting student volunteers to assist with the Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) summer programs for 2020. Students may continue to engage in other MCPS SSL opportunities during the summer, including select virtual/remote opportunities that follow the temporarily amended guidelines. All MCPS SSL opportunities can be found at Montgomery County Volunteer Center (MCVC). These opportunities will be tagged with the blue MCPS SSL banner and graduation cap icon.

To learn more about the MCPS SSL program, go to MCPS SSL Guidelines for Virtual/Remote SSL Opportunities. If you have questions, please email Ms. Donna K. Kleffman, Instructional Specialist, Office of Student and Family Engagement and Support, at Donna_K_Kleffman@mcpsmd.org.

ELO/SAIL Learning Opportunities

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