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See below for a description of what the program is as well as a list of suggested activities. After reading the guidelines, feel free to email [email protected] with any remaining questions.

Bellaire High School

Prestigious Volunteerism

Green Cord Award Service Program

The Green Cord Award is a distinguished volunteer service award coordinated by the Bellaire Public Schools. The award is available to any BHS student who has earned a minimum of 25 hours of community service/volunteering during each year of high school, for a total of at least 100 hours. Seniors who complete the requirements of the program will be honored with the prestigious award during Honors Night and wear a Green Cord at their graduation in recognition of their achievements.

GENERAL GUIDELINES: Students MUST document ALL services on a Green Cord Award form. One form for each site or project must be signed by a supervisor at the site; the student’s parent cannot sign forms for their own child. Each school year, students must volunteer at least 25 hours at a minimum of THREE different non-profit organizations. Examples include but are not limited to: schools, local or state government, church, community events, or community organizations and mission trips.

PRE-APPROVAL FORM: A pre-approval is requested prior to any service activity that is not listed on the pre-approved activities. This is to prevent any misunderstanding of qualifying hours. The primary criteria for the Green Cord credit is the service must be done for a non-profit or affiliated with a non-profit organization (exceptions: nursing homes and daycare centers). Students may not be paid or otherwise compensated for their time for hours to count. Additionally, anything that is required attendance or participation does not qualify for volunteer hours even if no other compensation is received (e.g. Varsity players who are required to attend JV games will not earn hours for running clocks or taking tickets).

DOCUMENTATION OF HOURS FORMS: Two forms are available for students to document experiences. One is used for a one-time event; the other can be used for ongoing commitments when a student is volunteering for more than one day in the same location and role. Time for lunch breaks should not be included unless it is required as part of your responsibilities. Forms should be turned into the main office or the Green Cord mailbox regularly. All senior forms must be submitted by May 1 in order to have enough time for processing prior to Honors Night and graduation. 

SUMMER: Service hours volunteered during the summer months can count toward your hour total as long as appropriate documentation is completed and submitted. Incoming freshmen students may begin earning hours as of August 1 prior to the start of their freshman year.

RELIGIOUS SERVICES: Green Cord hours may not directly be involved with the rituals, services or ceremonies of any specific religion. Examples of invalid activities include but are not limited to: singing in the choir, candle lighting, reading from religious texts, altar service, etc. Accepted religious activities include, but are not limited to: vacation bible school assistant or teacher, babysitting during religious services, working on a sound crew, recording/videotaping a service or mission trips.

EXCEPTIONS: Due to COVID shutdowns and restrictions, students in the class of 2022, 2023, and 2024 will earn their Green Cord when they have successfully completed 80 hours of volunteerism. The class of 2025 (and beyond) will be expected to meet the standard minimum of 100 hours.

Bellaire High School

Prestigious Volunteerism

Green Cord Award Service Program

Pre-Approved Activities & Suggestions

This Prestigious Volunteerism Award Program is a distinguished volunteer service award that is available to all Bellaire High School students who earn a minimum of 25 hours of community service/volunteering during every year of high school, for a total of at least 100 hours. This program was developed to encourage, recognize and reward students who take an interest in becoming a contributing citizen to not only their own community, but to the world as a whole. Seniors that have documented at least 100 + hours during their high school years will receive a Green Cord and be recognized at Honors Night and be worn during their graduation ceremony. The color green represents this program due to the history that the color stands for. It is a color that creates harmony and balance. It also holds a strong sense of right and wrong, inviting good judgment when making decisions. Green also is an emotionally positive color, giving us the ability to love and nurture ourselves and others unconditionally. This is exactly what this program stands for, the ability to find a balance in your lives to seek the desire to serve others and in return to find an inner sense of character that provides a gift to others as well as to yourself.

Considering the needs of our communities for volunteer services, we believe you can earn hours toward your cord while fulfilling the community need as well. The action of volunteering can build a better tomorrow by benefiting both the students and our community.

Many admission forms for college applications, scholarships, and resumes for employment ask for what you completed in volunteerism and service, with this program you will not only benefit our school and community but also YOU. You are probably already doing many of these things already and this is a way to keep track of our volunteer hours and potentially influence you to set and achieve a higher goal for yourself.

There are many things that you can do that would meet the requirements for this service program but to avoid any misunderstanding, please ask [email protected] to approve your project if not on the following list.

• Volunteering for community organizations: Lions, Lioness, Rotary and Mason, etc.
  
• Assisting elderly community members with household chores, shoveling sidewalks, raking
  
• Volunteering for church projects and teaching Sunday school
  
• Helping improve school grounds (supervised and approved by an adult)
  
• Cleaning ditches on the highways in the community
  
• Volunteering to work at community events (e.g. Light up the Town, Rubber Ducky, and Chamber Events)
  
• Assisting at a hospital, day care, nursing home, etc.
  
• Volunteering time for school sponsored activities (e.g. concession stands, tickets, clock running; This can only be used if it is not a requirement from your coach.)
  
• Volunteering at community blood drives
  
• Volunteering at the area senior center
  
• Volunteering to help coach younger children in sports, etc.
  
• Volunteer to help with middle school or high school track meets (only if not a requirement)
  
• Volunteer counselor at a camp
  
• Volunteer to assist Antrim County LUV PACS
  
• Volunteer at the local library
  
• Donate time at a pet crisis center or animal shelter
  
• Mission trips both in and out of the country
  
• Volunteer at the local food pantry
  
• Volunteer for the after school youth program
  
• Work with Band Boosters
  
• Work with The Youth Coalition Program
  
• Volunteer to help with the organization and cleaning of our local Nifty Thrifty
  
• Antrim Early Head Start Program opportunities
  
• Antrim County Foster Care Collision opportunities
  
• Volunteer with the Bellaire Elementary PTO programs (e.g. Christmas workshops, spring carnival, father/daughter dance, trunk or treat)
  
• Babysitting during the parent/teacher conferences
  
• Crop Work
  
• Volunteer for trail cleaning and learning experiences (e.g. Friends of Glacial Hills, Grass River Natural Area, etc.)

 The following ideas would NOT be acceptable for the Green Cord Awards Program:

• Doing chores at home
  
• Attending Church and Sunday school
  
• Babysitting for a younger sibling or taking any money for the same service
  
• Completing ANY task for which you receive money or a scholarship
• Fulfilling the requirements for a position on the Miss Bellaire (or similar) court
• Participating in or attending a fundraising event for a group, sport, or organization
  
• Doing extra credit homework
  
• Doing extracurricular activities (sports, music, etc.)
  
• Visiting/helping an elderly relative with your family
  
• Something that is to satisfy a class or requirement/obligation for any agency, program or organization where you are a member. The same hours cannot be used for two different requirements.

Other Volunteering Recognitions

Students have the opportunity to earn the Michigan Governor’s Youth Service Award. All of our students are encouraged to sign up at https://my.innerview.org/signup and add their hours during their high school years. NOTE: Students should NOT use their school email account to register with this website; use a personal email address.

The program has a tiered set of honors based on the total number of hours earned and documented in grades 9-12. During their senior year, students could receive a certificate signed by our Governor and/or a Spirit of Hope Award medal that can be worn at graduation. To learn more about the award tiers or the platform, please visit www.InnerView.org.