Technology Headlines
High School Students Log Service Learning and Volunteer Hours with x2VOL
intelliVOL — Thursday, January 13, 2011
Online Tracking System Eases Paperwork Burden for Schools
DALLAS and NAPA, Calif.—January 13, 2011 — Volunteerism by high school students is on the rise and while the added goodwill is appreciated, the required bookkeeping for administrators can be a headache. New Technology High Schools (www.newtechnetwork.org) in Calif. and in Texas are using x2VOL from intelliVOL (www.intelliVOL.com) and find that x2VOL makes it easier to manage service learning projects and boost volunteerism.
x2VOL is an online volunteer management and service learning system for schools that tracks the hours students give to community service. School administrators can manage activities, post opportunities, track and approve their students’ volunteer hours and service learning projects. Non-profits can also post and manage their own needs in the secure x2VOL database.
New Technology High Schools, which are located throughout the country, make service learning a required component of their curriculum. “Until last year when we started using x2VOL, tracking student hours was an onerous task for everyone including parents, students and the school staff,” said Howard Mahoney, director of New Technology High School in Napa, Calif. “A year ago, we started using x2VOL to connect with volunteer agencies and found it enhanced that connection and tremendously eased the paperwork burden.”
Studies show that paperwork can be a major reason volunteers stop helping out. A system like x2VOL can actually boost volunteerism because it makes it easier to partner students with appropriate service groups and it streamlines the tracking of hours.
“We have used x2VOL for over a year and it has transformed our ability to make community service a part of our school culture,” said Tabitha Branum, director of New Tech High School @ Coppell in Texas. “With x2VOL, now we don’t have to flip through forms and tally hours. Now, we can talk to kids and match their passions to volunteer projects where they can make a difference.”
“x2VOL has opened up our connection with community service agencies,” said Steve Zipkes, principal of Manor New Technology High School near Austin, Texas. “Community service agencies now reach out to us through x2VOL. They manage their needs in the system and we find that we have repeat customers because x2VOL has made it easier on everyone including parents, students and administrators.”
“As teachers, one of our goals is to teach students how to be responsible,” added Mahoney. “With x2VOL, our students are learning how to be responsible for their efforts and how to track their volunteer hours. They can then supply what they need for graduation and more easily complete their college applications.”
Video testimonial from principals Branum, Mahoney and Zipkes and others is available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIWCldoTTcg.
About intelliVOL
x2VOL from intelliVOL (www.intelliVOL.com) is a patent-pending, web-based community service management application used by schools to track student hours given to non-profit organizations. Schools throughout the country use x2VOL to ease the paperwork burden for tracking volunteer hours students give to non-profit organizations in their community. Learn more at x2VOL.com or www.intelliVOL.com or email info@intelliVOL.com.
