Program Overview
Mission Statement
Students at JMIS discover that responsible citizens are engaged in caring for the communities in which they live… and beyond … through volunteerism and humanitarian efforts.
Goals
Connect and involve JMIS students with community-based organizations that are working to improve the well-being of the community.
Create an environment that encourages:
• working together
• collaboration of ideas
• the contribution of one’s unique skills and interests in service to others for the good of the community
Offer a wide-range of opportunities so that all JMIS students can experience first-hand the benefits of responsible citizenship.
Ensure that the JMIS experience is characterized by academic excellence and student citizens actively caring for the community where they live and beyond.
Caring for the Community
Off-Campus Outreach: JMIS students will work with selected Community Partners at their site. Off-Campus field trips provide students the opportunity to both learn about service organizations as well as performing needed tasks. Transportation is provided by parent volunteers.
On-Campus Service Projects: JMIS students will assist selected Community Partners through regularly scheduled lunch-time projects that directly help those served by our partners.
Independent Activities: Independent activities must directly serve others, be humanitarian and charitable in nature. Students can find service ideas in the Independent Activity section at the left.
Student Participation
Participation by all JMIS students in on-campus and/or off-campus projects will be encouraged through a variety of service opportunities.
Signing Up:
Registration for Bridges community service activities (both on-campus and off-campus) will take place online on the Bridges Calendar & Signup section at the left.
Tracking of Community Service Hours:
Bridges automatically tracks each student’s volunteer hours for the activities we sponsor.
Independent Activities are those not sponsored by Bridges and found independently by the student. Bridges will only track Independent Activity hours for those students working towards Service Awards. The student must complete and submit the Independent Activity Form (found under the Forms link to the left).
Service Awards
Students may choose to work towards the California Governor’s Service Award and the President’s Volunteer Service Award. The California Governor's Award is awarded to those students performing 25 hours or more hours of qualifying service. The President's Community Service Award is awarded to those students performing 50 hours or more of qualifying service. Please refer to the Service Awards section to left for further details.
Acknowledging Student Volunteers:
By participating in the Bridges program, our hope is that students will derive their real “reward” through the experience of volunteering! Bridges will host an End of Year Ice Cream Party for all students that participate in Bridges activities throughout the school year.
Parent involvement is essential to the success of Bridges. Parent volunteers are needed to assist student volunteers during On-Campus Community Service Projects and as parent chaperones/drivers for Off-Campus Outreach/Field Trips.
The Bridges Committee also needs parent volunteers to serve as Community Partner coordinators, On-Campus project coordinators or using special skills in communications and finding new partners. Contact Annette Finnane (afinnane@comcast.net) or Jennifer Gerst (jbgerst@comcast.net) for more information on getting involved with Bridges.