White Cord for Community Service
The Akins Eagle cap and gown must be preserved as the main regalia or wear on graduation day. At the end of your senior year, students who have completed a coherent sequence of courses that earn an endorsement, may apply for an Academy Cord to wear during the graduation ceremony.
Students must be a member of the Academy from which the major cord is from in order to get that cord. For example, students in STEM may only apply for a STEM major cord. If a student is in STEM and wishes to get a cord from AHA, this is not allowed. Students are members of only one academy at a time and will be permitted to earn only one Academy cord, not two cords. Students who earn additional “approved” cords, such as Trustee, top 10%, or a Community Service cord will be allowed to wear these at graduation. To earn a community service cord, students must complete 100 approved and documented hours of community service.
They must also record those hours to be verified by the Community Service Sponsor. The sponsor is the coordinator for each academy. The following guidelines are used for acceptable community service hours.
- Must have 100 hours by the May 1st of your Senior year
- 50 hours must have been completed prior to the Spring Semester of your Senior year
- Hours must be signed within one week of volunteering
- Hours can be turned in weekly to your Academy Coordinator
- Fall Semester Hours are due by the week of Finals
- Family members cannot sign for service hours
- Babysitting outside of school hours does not count toward service hours
- Clearing of NC’s does not count toward service hours
- All community service hours must be completed outside of school hours
For more direct information on the Community Service White Cord, contact your Academy Coordinator. Click on the STAFF link on the upper right for their information.
Contact
Melinda Van Horn
Campus Improvement Facilitator (CIP)
(512) 841-9803
Ms. Georgie Morell
Social Services Academy Coordinator & CTE Human Services Teacher & CTE Dept. Chair
(512) 841-9847
georgiana.morell@austinisd.org