Schools Preparing for State’s New Graduation Requirements Turn to x2VOL for Managing Student Service Hours
Districts and service centers cite tech tool’s ability to digitize and simplify record-keeping specifically for service learning as rationale for selecting x2VOL
Ohio School districts are preparing now to meet state high school graduation requirements that students demonstrate they have a well-rounded academic foundation and skills to prepare them for life after high school. Because this kind of competency is demonstrated in real life situations such as work-based learning and community service, they are turning to x2VOL to ease the record keeping demands and ensure students are completing the hours. x2VOL is the largest and most well-known community service and service learning platform with over 50 million service hours approved around the country, including in Ohio.
The requirements take full effect with the class of 2023 and aim to ensure that students have both a better sense of their career path and have multiple ways to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to be a graduate.
“The new graduation requirement in Ohio is laudable for ensuring that students have real world experience, and this has not slowed down during the pandemic,” said Michele Pitman, founder and CEO of intelliVOL. “As service moves into high gear with returning back to school in the fall, x2VOL will partner with the state’s schools as they build up to the 2023 graduation requirement.”
Several Ohio districts, including one central suburban district, are already using x2VOL this year to track volunteer hours and then certify that service per the state’s requirements. Middle school and high school students already are required to complete six hours of volunteer work each year in this district. While the state allows each district to define the guidelines of community service projects, the expected increase will shift more record-keeping to district personnel.
Community service “is part of the DNA of our community. It’s one of the reasons people want to live here,” says Jeanne Gogolski, the service-learning coordinator for the district.
This district chose x2VOL because the web/mobile-based tracking and reporting platform eliminated paper record keeping and dramatically simplified verification, Gogolski added.
Students track reflections about their service and can get comments from their service director at the nonprofit, says Gogolski. The program also connects with the district’s college and career readiness solution from Naviance, allowing students and administrators to use a single sign-on process so that the process is faster and easier to manage.
These are the reasons why the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio will use x2VOL for the eight counties it serves, says Christine Galvin, the agency’s director of college and career success. Many of the schools covered by ESCCO use Naviance and having x2VOL throughout the region will both allow her group to offer area-wide volunteer and work-based learning opportunities.
In an x2VOL survey of schools for next school year, nearly 70 percent reported expecting a full return to pre-pandemic levels of service and nearly 90 percent of non-profit organizations will offer in-person volunteer opportunities. Pitman added, “While many schools modified their service programs in 2020 to account for COVID-19, the fall 2021 semester looks promising for returning to in-person service.” After a tough year with a lot of isolation, students will be able to re-engage their communities in meaningful ways through service.
About x2VOL by intelliVOL
x2VOL by intelliVOL is an award-winning tracking and reporting platform for student service hours used by private and public schools and districts nationwide to customize service goals, centralize service hours, and provide diverse service opportunities. x2VOL provides students with an online and mobile way to track and report service hours specific to the goals of their school while engaging them with local non-profits. Service records are authenticated and verified for each student and can be attached to their college applications, scholarship applications, or resumes. x2VOL is the most widely used service tracking and reporting platform in K-12 education with 50 million approved service hours, generating a $1.25B economic impact. In 2018, x2VOL+ was released for individuals to track and report their service hours. Learn more at x2VOL.com or email info@intelliVOL.com.
Several Ohio districts, including one central suburban district, are already using x2VOL this year to track volunteer hours and then certify that service per the state’s requirements.
In April 2021, x2VOL surveyed administrators, service leaders, and nonprofit organizations to better understand the impact COVID-19 had on community service in the Spring 2021 semester and what the outlook is for Fall 2021.
