School Accolades

5,000 Service Hour Challenge

Learn about how you can contribute to the 5000 Service Hour Challenge.

Nate Rowan, Staff Writer|September 7, 2017

Students gather for the first Key Club meeting of the year. Key Club is one of many service organizations at ACP.

At Tuesday’s sports assembly, senior Nate Rowan, my favorite person on campus, announced an exciting new challenge to the school: the 5,000 Hour Challenge. The goal of the challenge is to accumulate 5,000 hours of community service as a school. While the number may seem intimidating at first glance, there are plenty of ways for Knights to contribute.

How can I get involved?

Join a Club

ACP has more service clubs than ever this year, including Key Club, She’s the First, and Tutor Club. All of these clubs are still accepting new members, and are a fun way to do community service with fellow classmates.

Find a Service Organization

Service organizations exist for nearly any passion. For example, I have a strong passion for golf, so I volunteer at the First Tee of Phoenix, an organization dedicated to introducing young kids to the game of golf. Senior Sophia Chan is a wonderful harpist; she plays the harp at senior homes around the valley. Rebecca Elting plans to enter the medical field one day; she helps out at a hospice in Arizona. The opportunities are limitless, they can just be tough to find at times.

Volunteer with Your City

Last week, the City of Chandler visited ACP to talk about various volunteer opportunities offered by the city. Check out the City of Chandler and the Town of Gilbert’s website to find out more about opportunities in the area.

Volunteer at Events

Whenever a big event comes to town, volunteers are needed to help run it. Parades, charity runs, and events like the Ostrich Festival are all desperate for volunteers.

Volunteer on campus

ACP’s teachers are always extremely busy, and greatly appreciate when students stop by to help them make copies and grade papers. Giving up just an hour of your time after school can make a teacher’s day.

How will hours be tracked?

In the back of your teachers’ classrooms, you will find envelopes marked with “5,000 Service Hour Challenge.” These envelopes contain the sheets for the challenge, which require you to write nothing but the number of hours you completed. You will then turn the hours in to another envelope in the back of the classroom. It’s that easy!

Is 5,000 hours at attainable goal?

Without a doubt. The math comes out to about 6 hours per person, which our Knights are more than capable of. Don’t be surprised if ACP ends up doubling or tripling the 5,000 mark.