"We are thankful to have students from The Fletcher Academy join us at The Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC.  It is good to see young people working hard while giving back to their community with such positive attitudes." - FBENC Volunteer Coordinator 

Community Service is more than just an idea at TFA.  It is a high school course required for graduation.  The course provides students with the opportunity to volunteer in areas of need in and around the Raleigh community.

Each of the organizations and sites served by the Community Service class has been specially selected to give students an enjoyable and worthwhile learning experience as they make a difference in someone else's life and begin (or continue) a life-long process of giving back in their own communities.  Recent class sites for volunteering include Springmoor Retirement Home, Wilburn Elementary School, and The Food Bank of North Carolina.

The Community Service semester begins with five weeks of classroom study to prepare students for their responsibilities at each volunteer site.  This study includes the organization and operation of nonprofit agencies and organizations, "do's and don'ts" of activities at volunteer sites, how to document site visits and lessons learned, and touring each facility in order to further ease the transition from the classroom to the community.

After completion of the classroom study segment, volunteer site visits begin and continue through the remainder of the semester on each Tuesday, Thursday, and alternating Wednesdays under the supervision of Mr. Gerald Fichter and site personnel.  During visits, students gain hands-on experience related to their classroom studies as they interact with site support personnel, residents, and other students to facilitate activities at each site.

Once volunteering visits begin, class days not spent on site are utilized for discussion and sharing learning experiences OR specific service projects at the school.  Recognizing that students forfeit all of their Homework Hall time during days on site visits, a modified Homework Hall is implemented during class times periodically.

"The young students (1st graders) can't wait to see their buddy each week.  This community service helps our Wilburn students enjoy reading." - Wilburn Communities in Schools Coordinator