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Varsity Letter in Community Service

Community Service Hours & Varsity Letter Program

Make an Impact. Track Your Hours. Earn Your Letter.

Volunteer work changes lives — including yours. Log your service hours in SchooLinks and work toward earning the Varsity Letter in Community Service.

What Is the Varsity Letter in Community Service?

Since 2017, Peninsula School District has honored high school students who volunteer their time and talents to uplift others in our community and region. In the 2024-2025 school year, we had 198 remarkable students who earned the Varsity Letter in Community Service. These students have dedicated nearly 23,000 hours of service to organizations, including Food Backpack for Kids, Tacoma Rescue Mission, school events, and Point Defiance Zoo. These students completed at least 100 hours of community service and maintained a 2.5 GPA or above.

  • Our 2023-2024 Varsity Letter in Community Service recipients are recognized in this video.
  • Our 2022-2023 Varsity Letter in Community Service recipients are recognized in this video. 
  • Our 2021-2022 Varsity Letter in Community Service recipients are recognized in this video.

VARSITY LETTER IN COMMUNITY SERVICES 2025 – 2026

Engaging in community service is a way to uplift others, the community, and oneself. The impact on the lives of others and the community at large can be lasting. It is also a great way to enrich your skills at relationship-building, empathy, problem-solving, and leadership. Peninsula School District is proud to honor students who contribute to our community with the Varsity Letter in Community Service. This opportunity is available to students going into 9th through 12th grade and can be repeated through each year of high school.

REQUIREMENTS

  1. 2.5 or greater cumulative GPA at the end of 1st semester of the 25-26 school year.
  2. Complete at least 100 hours of community service between June 15, 2025 and May 31, 2026.  
  3. At least 25 hours of the 100 must be completed within Pierce County.
  4. Service for non-profit organizations is encouraged. However, hours spent benefiting the organization itself—such as singing choir or teaching youth group at your church or setting up an event for your own Boy or Girl Scout troop, Organizing a food or clothing drive would count.
  5. Community service hours for lettering must be beyond class/course credit requirements and cannot be paid.
  6. Volunteer hours must be done between June 15, 2025 and May 31, 2026. 

Four student volunteers

Qualifying Activities

 

Find Volunteer Opportunities

Need ideas for where to volunteer? You have several great options to explore:

  • SchooLinks Opportunity Board
    Log into SchooLinks and visit the Opportunity Board to see current volunteer listings from local organizations. New opportunities are posted regularly, so check back often.

  • Pierce County Volunteer Opportunities
    Browse the Pierce County Volunteer Opportunities website for a wide range of community service options — from environmental cleanups to event support, animal care, and more.

  • School & Community Announcements
    Keep an eye on your school’s bulletin boards, newsletters, morning announcements, and club meetings for upcoming service projects.

  • Local Organizations
    Many nonprofits, libraries, parks, and community centers welcome student volunteers — consider contacting them directly to ask how you can help.

 

 

 

Find Volunteer Opportunities

Need ideas for where to volunteer? You have several great options to explore:

  • SchooLinks Opportunity Board
    Log into SchooLinks and visit the Opportunity Board to see current volunteer listings from local organizations. New opportunities are posted regularly, so check back often.

  • Pierce County Volunteer Opportunities
    Browse the Pierce County Volunteer Opportunities website for a wide range of community service options — from environmental cleanups to event support, animal care, and more.

  • School & Community Announcements
    Keep an eye on your school’s bulletin boards, newsletters, morning announcements, and club meetings for upcoming service projects.

  • Local Organizations
    Many nonprofits, libraries, parks, and community centers welcome student volunteers — consider contacting them directly to ask how you can help.

 

How to Log Your Hours

Preview unavailable.
Click here to view Logging Experiences.

A screen displays experience tracking information, showing completed community service hours.

The Deadline

May 31 is the final date to log and verify all hours in SchooLinks.
Make sure supervisor emails are correct — unverified hours do not count.

Students need to access their SchooLinks experience tracker to verify that they have completed their 100 hours of service after May 31, 2026 deadline.  If you have completed 100 hours of service, this means you have earned your varsity letter.  Students who successfully complete all the requirements of the Varsity Letter in Community Service program will be recognized at the first School Board meeting in June.  Those who complete the 100 hours of service can pick up their varsity letter packet from the athletic secretary at their school, the 2nd week in June.