Direct service is that which is done through face-to-face contact directly with the population being served. Examples of direct service include:
tutoring students
working with animals at a shelter
cleaning a walking/hiking/biking trail,
distributing food at a food pantry or shelter
Indirect service involves helping organizations build capacity to deliver direct service. Examples of indirect service include:
office work such as filing, answering phones, etc.
event planning, execution and management
fundraising
To meet the yearly requirement, students must complete a minimum of six hours of direct service per year throughout their four years of high school. All hours can be direct service, as there is no indirect service component. Indirect service can be counted towards the yearly goal, but the requirement is not met until the six hours of direct service are completed.
Community service reporting is done online through the x2vol system You can access the x2vol system via the student resource board on the Newark Academy website or by going directly to the site at x2vol.com.
All NA Upper School students should sign on to the system by following the directions on the website. After creating your sign-in, you should report your hours in the appropriate category (either direct or indirect depending on the type of service). In order to report your hours, you will need to record not only the number of hours completed but also the contact information (including an email address) for the sponsor of the project. Additionally, for each project you will be asked to write a short, thoughtful reflection about your experience. Once you have reported your hours, your report and reflection must be approved by your grade coordinator. Grade coordinators are responsible for verifying your reported hours with the organization you served and reviewing your written reflection.
Reflection is a key part of your Newark Academy, generally, and is especially important in the community service process. Students are asked to do this in order to make connections between the service they are performing and the impact that such service has on both the giver of service and those who receive it. Guidelines for writing your reflection may be found here. Students who write reflections that do not meet the guidelines outlined on the reporting form will be asked to revise their reflections. Students are encouraged to draft your reflection in a Word or Google document and to share it in that format with your Grade-Level Coordinator prior to posting your it to x2vol.
You must have the person who supervised your project (the sponsor) certify your project and number of hours you served. When you enter the sponsor’s email address in the x2vol system, a verification email will be automatically generated, which your sponsor can easily complete. If you do not have the email address for a sponsor, you will need to get a printed letter from your sponsor that includes the name of the organization, contact information for the supervisor (name and phone/email), the date of the service, and the number of hours served. You must then upload that document to the x2vol system. After completing verification as outlined here, you must email your Grade-Level Coordinator to let them know that your hours are ready for review and approval.
Please note that your Grade-Level Coordinator must receive sponsor verification by the final community service deadline, or your hours may not count towards the requirement.
Right away! You should report your community service hours immediately after you have completed the service. We encourage students to report their hours and reflect on their experiences in real time, throughout the school year, so you are more cognizant of the activities in which you are engaged and so the Community Service Council can keep a more accurate account of all of the community service projects completed by NA students.
While Newark Academy’s Community Service Council offers many opportunities for NA students to engage in service with their classmates, you may also choose to serve with any organization or cause you feel passionate about or an organization that you served before you came to Newark Academy. The only requirements for your service is that the organization you serve be a 501c3 nonprofit organization and that the organization does not directly benefit Newark Academy.
Newark Academy’s Community Service program is designed primarily for our students; however, we do host several community-wide events each year in which alumni and parents can participate. Parents interested in the Community Service Program should contact the Newark Academy Parents Association at napa@newarka.edu. Alumni interested in hosting a Community Service project or in participating in one of our community-wide events should contact Director of Alumni Relations Evan Nisenson
You can follow NA Community Service on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or reach out directly to Director of Community Service Sarah Fischer
