FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions for Families about the 2020-2021 School Year.
How do youth ages 18 and younger get meals?
DC youth ages 18 and younger may receive up to three breakfast and lunch meals daily at one of the 47 school locations. Parents/guardians are welcome to pick up a meal packs on behalf of youth. To ensure the safety of other meal site attendees and staff please follow guidelines outlined by the Mayor’s Office and DC Health regarding coronavirus when visiting meal site locations.
Who is eligible to receive meals through a DCPS Meal Site?
Any DC youth, ages 18 and under can receive free breakfast and lunch meals at DCPS meal sites through June 30th 2021.
In the event of school closure, can students complete virtual community service opportunities?
Yes, students can complete virtual community service opportunities in the event of school closure. The DCPS Counseling team will forward all virtual community service opportunities to school counselors. Students and families can also access virtual community service opportunities on our Twitter page.
Can I create my own community service hour experience?
Any new community service opportunity must receive pre-approval from the DCPS Counseling Team. Please email us at DCPS.Counseling@k12.dc.gov.
Who can I contact to verify my student’s community service hour progress?
Please contact your community service person of contact (POC) or counselor to verify your student’s community service progress.
How can schools verify community service hours?
The community service person of contact (POC) or counselor must ensure that students include the tax ID (EIN#) on the community service form. You can also verify tax ID numbers on the IRS website. If the POC cannot find the tax ID number, the POC can contact the site supervisor listed on the community service form. Community service POCs may request more information from the student or site supervisor.
When do students need to submit community service hours to their school community service coordinator or POC?
Students should submit their community service hour form within 30 days of completing the community service hours. For graduating seniors, all remaining community service hours that count towards meeting the 100-hour graduation requirement are due by the Friday before the Memorial Day holiday in May.
Where can I access the community service hour form?
Staff members can access the community service hour form here. Students are responsible for completing all sections of the form including securing signatures, documenting time in and out of community service, and completing the community service reflection. The community service POC or school counselor will have paper copies of the community service form at the middle or high school.
How many hours of community service can a student earn?
Students can earn up to 8 hours of community series in a 24-hour period. There is no maximum number of hours a company or organization can award overall.
What types of community service can students complete?
Students may complete community service that falls into these three categories:
- Direct Service: face-to-face contact between DCPS students and beneficiaries of the community service
- Indirect Service: support provided by students on issues related to the community, including fundraising, collections, and providing technical assistance.
- Advocacy: students participate in tasks to influence change in their community, including letter writing and presenting before public officials. Advocacy tasks must remain non-partisan in nature.