HHS Community Service students are working to make Hershey a little sweeter.

On Friday, October 7, 2016, the Community Service Learning Class met during the first session of Community Day to discuss how to bring information to the student body about their work. Community Service Learning is an online, one credit course offered at Hershey for Juniors and Seniors. The class is administered by Mrs. Clouser and is done mainly online through Canvas. The idea of the class is to give students a more flexible schedule and to get them more involved in the community. Each student picks a project or idea that he or she is interested in and creates a way they can help out. The course has 22 enrolled, 21 seniors and one junior, but Clouser hopes that numbers will increase once the word spreads about the class.

But the class isn’t just restricted to helping our community. Seniors Jacqui Foley and Kathryn Kinney are sending school supplies to students in Nicaragua while seniors Moses Kresch and Owen Deflitch are collecting sports equipment to donate to kids who can’t afford it. Senior Rachel Schirato organized a run to benefit the mental health of teens. But it doesn’t stop there. For underclassmen, the Student World Action Class (SWAC) is provided to those who want to get involved. SWAC is a quarter credit course that is offered in addition to the students regular schedule.

Both courses are considered a blended learning course, meaning it is flexible and can be done at home or during school hours. Clouser and a number of other teachers hope to transition Hershey High to more of a blended style of learning. “Eight periods a day are crazy,” said Clouser when describing why she wished to transition the school to a blended learning style. She hopes that having a more flexible schedule will alleviate stress for students so they can work at their own pace on their own time.

The class met during the Hershey’s Second Annual Community Day to provide information for Community Service Learning Class and blended learning. During the session, the students created a video explaining why they chose blended learning and why they would recommend the class to future students. The video will then be sent to administration.

Students that are interested in either Community Service Learning Class or Student World Action Class should contact Mrs. Clouser in room F139 when scheduling time comes around this year.

With the Community Service class on the rise, the goal is to for more people to join and send some more sweetness around the world from the students of Hershey High.