School Support and Improvement

Student Service Learning (SSL)

 

Student Service Learning Essentials

Introduction to SSL Handout:
English | Español | 中文 | Français | tiếng Việt | 한국어 | አማርኛ | Portuguêse

SSL Hours Earned
How to check your SSL hours on Student/Parent Vue

New2SSL Forms, Guidelines and Resources
MCPS SSL Hub for Students/Families.

SSL Opportunities
https://bit.ly/SSLOpportunities

SSL Coordinators
High School SSL Coordinators
Middle School SSL Coordinators

 

How can MCPS students earn SSL hours?

 

SSL flowchart

Download Chart:  English | Español | 中文 | Français | tiếng Việt | 한국어 | አማርኛ | Portuguêse

SSL Opportunities

 

Choose Respect
Video Contest

Choose Respect PSA flyer

Contest Deadline:
– February 28, 2022 –

MS and HS students can earn 10 SSL hours by creating an original 50-70 second video to promote awareness of dating abuse and domestic violence among teens. First place video is awarded $1000! To view the contest rules, see past winning videos, and learn more about healthy teen relationships and the characteristics of unhealthy and abusive relationships, visit the Choose Respect Montgomery webpage.
Additional details and timelines

Student-to-Student
Extracurricular Series

student leadership

– Ongoing –

We are seeking students interested in developing a video presentation with either a leadership moment or extracurricular skill to inspire, teach, and share with their MCPS peers and the greater MCPS community. Students may earn 10 SSL hours for successful submission of all items identified in the Student-To-Student Extracurricular Series Form.
Learn more

Nonprofit-Hosted
SSL Opportunities

SSL grad cap extended

– Ongoing –

All nonprofit-hosted SSL opportunities can be found on the Montgomery County Volunteer Center (MCVC) website. These opportunities are tagged with the blue MCPS SSL banner and graduation cap icon. Students may also directly access nonprofit-hosted MCPS SSL opportunities at bit.ly/SSLOpportunities and bit.ly/VirtualSSL2020.

IMPORTANT:  TEMPORARY AMENDED SSL INFORMATION
Visit the link below to review the guidelines for select virtual/remote service that students may complete until the end of the 2021-2022 school year.
MCPS SSL Guidelines for Virtual/Remote SSL Opportunities

To meet the service-learning needs of our students during this time period, students may temporarily 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 through the summer of 2021 and until the end of the 2021-2022 school year. 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.

Middle school and high school students may continue earning SSL hours towards their SSL graduation requirement by engaging in SSL opportunities during the summer, including traditional in-person opportunities and select virtual/remote opportunities that follow the temporarily amended guidelines. Rising sixth-grade students may begin participating in SSL opportunities starting on June 17, 2021. Please refer to important information about the MCPS SSL program provided below:
Nonprofit-Hosted SSL Opportunities
MCPS SSL organizations and opportunities are tagged with the blue MCPS SSL banner and graduation cap icon on the Montgomery County Volunteer Center (MCVC) website.		 All opportunities (including in-person): https://bit.ly/SSLOpportunities
Virtual/remote opportunities: https://bit.ly/VirtualSSL2020
MCPS Form 560-50: Individual SSL Request Form
Used to obtain pre-approval prior to service with a nonprofit organization not listed on the Montgomery County Volunteer Center (MCVC).		 To request pre-approval for service to be completed during the summer, complete and submit https://bit.ly/SSLPreApproval to SSL@mcpsmd.org
MCPS Form 560-51: SSL Activity Verification Form
Used to verify and document SSL hours after service is completed
Student and supervisor must complete the form		 SSL Activity Verification Forms (https://bit.ly/SSLReflection) for service completed should be turned into your school’s SSL coordinator in the fall
Student SSL Records on Student/ParentVUE
Step-by-step directions for viewing a student’s full SSL record		 Step-by-step directions may be found at https://bit.ly/SSLonVUE
MCPS SSL Program Overview
Complete overview of SSL requirements, guidelines, process, awards, and forms		 MCPS SSL Program Overview may be found at https://bit.ly/SSLOverview2020
MCPS SSL Temporary Guidelines for Virtual/Remote Service
Virtual/remote guidelines will remain in place until the end of the 2021-2022 school year		 Review the Guidelines for Virtual/Remote Service at https://bit.ly/VirtualSSLGuidelines
MCPS SSL Hub for Students
SSL forms, translated resources, SSL guidelines, and more important information		 View the SSL forms, resources, and guidelines at https://bit.ly/SSLHubMCPS

Reminder: All SSL forms for service completed after June 1, 2019, should be submitted to the school’s SSL coordinator when students return to school for the 2021-2022 school year (please note that after the 2021-2022 school year, SSL forms will no longer be accepted from previous school years).

High School SSL Coordinators

Middle School SSL Coordinators

If you have any questions about the SSL program during the summer, please email the MCPS SSL office at SSL@mcpsmd.org.

If you have any questions about the SSL program during the school year, please email your school’s SSL coordinator.

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 24, 2021
Service completed during the summer and 1st semester January 7, 2022
Service completed during the summer, 1st semester, and 2nd semester June 3, 2022
**Any unsubmitted SSL forms for service completed after June 1, 2019 will be accepted until June 3, 2022. Please note that after the 2021-2022 school year, SSL forms will no longer be accepted from previous school years.
SYSTEMWIDE SSL AWARD TIMELINE
Award Documentation Due Date
Documentation that qualifies seniors for Certificates of Meritorious Service April 1, 2022*
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 1, 2022*

*The required deadline for all documentation that qualifies seniors for Certificates of Meritorious Service and middle school students for the Superintendent’s SSL Award is April 1, 2022. All SSL forms (MCPS Form 560-51: Student Service Learning Activity Verification) should be emailed to the school’s SSL coordinator by April 1, 2022, to be considered for these awards.

*Any high school senior who has submitted documentation to show the completion of 240 SSL hours or more by April 1, 2022, will earn the Certificate of Meritorious Service along with a purple tassel for graduation. This award requirement has been prorated to account for the period of time during which school buildings were closed. Any middle school student who has submitted documentation to show the completion of the 75-hour SSL graduation requirement (for the first time in middle school) by April 1, 2022, will receive the Superintendent’s SSL Award.

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 for any in-person service.
  • For any virtual/remote service, students must submit the MCPS Form 560-50, Individual Student Service Learning Request to SSL@mcpsmd.org.
  • All pre-approval requests must be submitted in a timely manner. There is a two-week allowance for SSL Coordinators to review the request for approval or denial based on compliance with MCPS SSL Program.
  • During the summer, all pre-approval requests may be submitted to the SSL Dropbox at SSL@mcpsmd.org.

Information Specific for the Class of 2021

IMPORTANT: The Maryland State Board of Education met on Tuesday, March 23, 2021 and approved the State Superintendent’s waiver for the Student Service Learning requirement for seniors who have not met the requirements. Seniors who graduate in August 2021 will receive the State Superintendent’s waiver for the Student Service Learning graduation requirement.

 

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