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Douglas S. Freeman High School

LifeReady Learning (Community Service)

LifeReady Learning (Community Service)

The Life Ready Learning Diploma Seal recognizes students who go above and beyond to prepare for life after graduation. Through work-based learning, community service, and civic engagement, students develop the essential skills of the Henrico Learner Profile. By participating in these unpaid experiences and reflecting on their growth, students demonstrate they are truly ready for the world beyond the classroom.

Note: Students must be logged into their HCPS Google account to access the submission form. Parents may not submit on a student's behalf due to form access restrictions.

What types of activities constitute LifeReady Learning?

  • Community Service Learning
    • Activities which benefit the school or community, provided that the community organizations benefiting from the services are non-profit, with the exception of health care facilities. Religious organizations are permitted for activities that do not involve proselytizing or other forms of religious teaching;
    • Activities which are not self-serving for a student or the student’s family;
    • Activities which render service to those who cannot otherwise provide for themselves.
  • Work-based learning 
    • Externships
    • Job Shadowing
    • School-based enterprises
      • Production and planning of school performances 
        • EX: Promotion and ticket sales for dramatic performances
        • EX:  Directing assistance of drama, musical performances
      • Operating a workplace environment during the school day
        • EX: Auto mechanics shop, print shop, cosmetology, culinary arts catering, etc.
      • Creating and marketing student-generated products for distribution or sale
        • EX: School literary magazines, Yearbook
  • Peer mediation 
    • Serving as a peer mediator at your school
  • Civic Engagement
    • Planning and/or executing school or community advocacy including curriculum-embedded experiences like MWEE’s (Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience) and Project Citizen
    • Organizing and/or participating in community action events
    • Volunteering with the Board of Elections or political campaigns
    • Participation in the HCPS Equity Ambassador program
    • Participation in the Henrico Environmental Action Resource Team (HEART) Youth Council
    • Completion of Health and PE 10 capstone assessment
  • Student Leadership
    • Serving as a captain or club leader and presenting your extracurricular learning and reflections on how that leadership helped you to be LifeReady to the school as a whole, a subset of students from outside of the team or club, or an audience of community members. 
      • EX: Serving as section leader or drum major
      • EX: Serving as an athletic team captain
      • EX: Serving as an appointed or elected officer in a student organization 
    • Only hours spent in a leadership capacity will count in this area. For example, practice and game time for a student athlete or band member cannot be counted but other leadership activities like team/community building, working to develop other team, band, or club members
      • EX: Organizing team building activities outside of club time or practice time
      • EX: Mentoring of team or club members outside of designated practice/game/meeting times

How do students earn the HCPS LifeReady Learning diploma seal?

  • By completing 80 hours of Life Ready Learning experiences starting after the student completes 8th grade and ending April 1st of their senior year; and
  • By completing a yearly reflection or presentation of learning at the end of each school year on progress toward mastery of the durable skills of the Henrico Learner Profile.