Logging Service Hours

All Adopt-A-School tutors are required to log weekly service hours and submit a timesheet to the Program Supervisor, regardless if you are participating in work study or not.

Logging your service hours is important because it helps to track the number of hours students are giving back to the community, enhances letters of recommendations you may need, increases your chances of receiving special awards and recognitions, and ensures you receive your Federal Work Study dollars. 

Service Hours Timesheet: Download here

Example Timesheet (how to fill out): View here

Note: Please make sure your school Site Supervisor signs off on your weekly hours.

In addition to your personal timesheet, you will need to sign in and out of the school's tutor sign in sheet. Please ask your school Site Supervisor where the sign in book is located. 

Federal Work Study

"Federal Work Study provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the student's course of study." (Read more here) 

The Adopt-A-School Program is an approved work study job which means if you have been awarded Federal Work Study dollars through your financial aid package, then you can earn those funds by working at an Adopt-A-School site. To be eligible for Federal Work Study you must:

• Complete a FAFSA, plus all required financial aid documents
• Select 'Yes' for work study on FAFSA
• Priority is given to those who file between October 1 - April 15
• Be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours 
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Please note: Even if you meet this criteria, Federal Work Study dollars are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and are not guaranteed to every student who is eligible. 

For more information about work study or to find out if you have been awarded funds, please contact the Work-Study Office at . You will also find frequently asked questions below.

Federal Work Study FAQs

Being awarded Federal Work Study does not guarantee you a job.

Accepting the Federal Work Study funds you're offered is just the first step. In order to receive those funds, you need to earn them which means you need to start by finding a work study job.

Federal Work Study is not guaranteed from year to year.

There are several factors that can determine whether or not you receive work study from year to year. These include your family income or financial need, whether you used the work study funds that were offered to you in a prior year, and/or how much work study funding your school receives that year. 

The College receives a limited amount of work study funds each year.

Community College of Philadelphia awards Federal Work Study funds to eligible students on a first-come, first-served basis. This means once all of the funds have been awarded, there will not be any more to distribute. 

Work study students have a maximum amount of funds available to them.

If you are awarded Federal Work Study funds, the maximum amount you can earn through your work study job is $2,500 per year. 

Work-Study funds are not applied directly to your tuition.

Unlike other types of financial aid, work study earnings are not applied directly to your tuition and fees. Students who are awarded work study receive the funds in a paycheck as they earn them, based on hours worked, just like a normal job. These earnings are not meant to be a primary source of income or cover large costs like tuition and housing. Instead work study dollars are intended to help with day-to-day expenses that students have (i.e. food, transportation).

You may only hold one Work-Study job at a time.

There are a variety of work study jobs available both on and off campus; however, students can only have one work study job at a time. 

Source: U.S. Department of Education - learn more here

Faculty and Staff

We are always interested in connecting with faculty and staff at the College who would like to get involved with the Adopt-A-School Program through the Institute for Community Engagement and Civic Leadership. There are several ways you can get involved:

Service Learning

Do you teach a course that could benefit from a hands-on learning experience outside the classroom? Service learning is a highly effective tool and proven teaching method for improving student learning outcomes by applying concepts taught in the classrom to real world situations. Whether you teach English, math, social science, early childhood education, behavioral health/human services, or another discipline, the Adopt-A-School program and our partner schools are great places to implement a one-time, semester-long, or ongoing service learning project. 

Donation Drives

Each year, we hold donation drives in support of our partner schools to supply high-need items for their students and families. In the fall, we hold our annual Adopt-A-Family Holiday Drive where we fulfill holiday wish lists for children and collect non-perishable food items; in the spring, we collect personal hygiene items. We welcome you to participate by donating items to these drives and getting your classrooms involved. 

Promoting to Students

We want to make the Adopt-A-School Program accessible and available to as many students at the College as possible, but we need your help to spread the word! You can help us by sharing information with your students on Canvas, inviting an Institute staff member to present in a class, or connecting students directly with the Institute to learn more. 

If you have ideas for other ways you would like to work with us, please reach out to the Institute team at . We look forward to connecting with you!

School Partners

The Institute for Community Engagement and Civic Leadership works with different schools throughout the School District of Philadelphia to provide high-impact support for students, teachers, and parents. Most of our school partner sites are located in neighborhoods where Community College of Philadelphia has a campus nearby and where a large percentage of our students live and work. While a majority of our school partners are K-8 schools, we also work with high schools and are open to exploring new partnerships, as we have capacity to expand. 

Core Features of the Program

• Program operates from September to June
• In-school support occurs Monday - Friday between 9am-3pm
• Tutors work 2-20 hours per week
• K-8 grades receive support in reading, math, and science

How We Support

These are ways we are committed to supporting our school partners:

• Providing tutors and classroom assistants who can support one-on-one, with small groups or in large classrooms
• Donating high-need items such as food and personal hygiene items
• Offering career exploration and early college exposure through campus tours, service-learning projects, and more
• Promoting continuing education opportunities for parents

How to Work With Us

To facilitate a strong, mutually beneficial partnership these are ways we ask you to work with us:

• Identify main point of contact at your school
• Stay in regular communication with us
• Provide onsite orientation for tutors and identify classrooms for them to support
• Sign timesheets for tutors tracking their service hours
• Provide feedback and info on the impact of the program on K-8 grade students

If you're interested in exploring a possible partnership with us, please reach out to the Institute team at .

Resources

School Sign In Sheet: Download here

Program At-A-Glance Flyer: View here