I'm glad Broward schools require service hours
Contributed by Cindy Kent, SunSentinel.com
Every holiday I count my blessings. I know how lucky I am. It's a cliché, I know. But I am truly appreciative. Not everyone is so fortunate. And many people count on the good will of others and their volunteerism within the community to get help.
It's a great feeling to pass it forward. And it's something I am looking forward to my son doing as part of his requirements for high school graduation.
In Broward County, students who wish to earn a Standard Diploma must meet the graduation requirement of 40 service learning hours plus a written reflection.
My son, who will be entering high school next year, will begin to participate in the Broward County Public School's Service Learning and Volunteer Service Program.
He can simply accrue the required volunteer hours needed for graduation, or he can go the extra mile by working beyond the requirements.
There's a lot of need in our community - and a lot of opportunity. And if your child is about to enter the brave new world of public high school in Broward County, he or she just may end up alongside my son as they better the lives of others!
CLICK HERE for more about the volunteer program.
Gretchen Day-Bryant has a son in high school and a daughter in middle school. She’s lived to tell about the struggles of juggling little kids and work.
Joy Oglesby has a preschooler...
Cindy Kent Fort Lauderdale mother of three. Her kids span in ages from teenager to 20s.
Rafael Olmeda and his wife welcomed their first son in Feb. 2009, and he's helping raise two teenage stepdaughters.
Lois Solomon lives in Boca Raton with her husband and three daughters.
Georgia East is the parent of a five-year-old girl, who came into the world weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces.
Brittany Wallman is the mother of Creed, 15, and Lily, 7, and is married to a journalist, Bob Norman. She covers Broward County government, which is filled with almost as much drama as the Norman household. Almost.
Chris Tiedje is the Social Media Coordinator and the father of a 7-year-old girl, and two boys ages 4 and 3.
Kyara Lomer Camarena has a 2-year-old son, Copelan, and a brand new baby. 
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