March 8, 2023, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the bill passing the LEARNS Act. While this bill had numerous effects on education in Arkansas, the main clauses in the bill students are concerned about are the new graduation requirements. All students in the class of 2027 and onward are required to earn at least 75 volunteer hours to graduate high school. Student leadership and faculty have taken several steps to assist students in meeting this requirement. 

“The biggest issue that I see is kids not being aware of what’s available to them and truly understanding, no, this is real,” faculty volunteer coordinator Kim Burleson said, “This isn’t just a suggestion. You have to do this or not graduate. That’s it.”

Burleson keeps track of students’ volunteer hours. Since the bill was passed she has not only dealt with the overwhelming influx of recording hours, but also feels a responsibility to inform students of different volunteer opportunities.

“It has been extremely time-consuming because not only do I need to record [volunteer hours] for people to get them verified,” Burleson said.”But I know a lot of kids don’t have opportunities to volunteer at places; so what I’ve tried to do is make sure I can offer some things for kids to get hours.”

Burleson noticed that a lot of hours being recorded by students are at hunger organizations like the Hunger Alliance and the Arkansas Food Bank. However, she tries to bring more attention to in-school events that allow students to fulfill the requirement since they are more accessible. 

“So a lot of kids are getting [hours at school] that we’re offering, which means it’s pretty much going to be immediately approved and we’ve advertised it as ‘here’s how you can get the hours’,” Burleson said. “We offered a book drive this summer during Tiger Academy,  and a lot of students took advantage of that.”

 The National Honors Society (NHS) also requires a specific number of volunteer hours each year to maintain membership.

NHS president Kendall Cloar acknowledges that many students get hours from school-sponsored events like Tiger Academy and TASC, but those who have higher numbers of hours often volunteer at specialized organizations that cater to their own interests. However, she feels that the requirement of 75 hours through the LEARNS Act makes the work less genuine.

“If you’re requiring all students to volunteer, it’s not necessarily volunteering when you’re forced to,” Cloar said. “So we just kind of think it makes the intent less pure like kids aren’t necessarily going to learn service through acquiring these service hours.”

Busy working on the weekends, sophomore Sarah Qassas finds it difficult to get her volunteer hours. 

“Honestly, I’m kind of stressed,” Qassas said. “Because I don’t have any time, like it’s gonna be very hard to find the time to get those volunteer hours.”

Qassas recently joined Beta Club and hopes that the club will provide her with more chances to meet the requirement.

Senior president of Beta Club, Joshua Gao, looks at the greater impact of volunteering through his organization. Beta Club also requires a certain number of service hours yearly to be a member, but its main focus is aiding the community through volunteering. Beta Club not only informs students of opportunities, but also organizes events for them.

“[Volunteering] has a great impact on the community,” Gao said.  “All of us are getting out there, making a difference” 

Beta Club member sophomore Ellie Kim has already met and surpassed the 75 hour requirement. She volunteers for a host of organizations including Camp Aldersgate, the Arkansas Food Bank, Museum of Discovery, and the Little Rock Zoo. 

“It’s actually really fun, especially when I get to do it with my friends,” Kim said. “And I think that it’s good for people to reach out and volunteer.”

Kim recognizes the positive impact she makes when she volunteers at events, especially for the people that depend on those organizations.

“It helps the people who come to that event and experience things there,” Kim said. “Which definitely leaves an impact on them, that they’ll take with them forever, even if it was just a small core memory.”

Kim believes that the 75 volunteer hour stipulation is manageable in all four years of high school, and that the overall impact of the requirement is beneficial to both students and the places they serve.

“I do think it’s a really good thing for the community, and it gives students experience towards real world scenarios, which I think is good for them,” Kim said. “And the community can see what students can provide for them.”