<p>I have a friend who got service learning hours (required at her school) through community theatre. However, I didn't know if community theatre really counted as legitimate voluteer hours. Any insight?</p>
<p>Did the friend volunteer this time to a community group? If so, it's as valid as 90% of the other "volunteer" service that people do (which is to say, just toting up hours in service, without any special leadership, initiatives, or achievements, doesn't count for a whole lot anyway).</p>
<p>She was acting in a show at X Community Theater. That would count for hours? Also, you say that service hours don't count for much? I have a chance to do this selective hospital volunteering, but I don't know if it's worth it as, well, transportation could be a problem. I'd really like to do community theater instead, but I don't know how that would translate. I mean, I'd love to see what it's like volunteering there, but I love theatre to death. I'd do both if I could, but one may be more plausible than the other. Hence, my question. And thanks in advance.</p>
<p>If she was acting in a show, it's certainly an extracurricular activity (EC) but it's not service. EC's are activities that are literally "outside the normal curriculum" (extra-curricular) and can be at school, at home, in the community, abroad, etc.</p>
<p>I would not calculate the value of community service or any kind of service only by whether it is "worth it" for admissions purposes. It has to be "worth it" to you, that is for what you learn, your sense of contributing, the things you can do to help or improve society.</p>
<p>My own kids did very little "service" because they had other priorities. Their involvement in EC's was also limited to a few things in which they had a strong personal interest. They didn't give any consideration to how those might affect their college admissions. But of course I, as a parent, was cognizant of this future effect, and I also encouraged their involvment in EC's if for no other reason sometimes than just to get them off their duffs and out of the house and learning things and engaging in activities with other people.</p>
<p>My son also used his community theater volunteer time for community service. He was a lighting technician for a theater in our area, volunteering tons of hours over four years to set up, design, and run their lights...and take them down in the end. He is a music major, not a theater major.</p>
<p>Like thumper...my kids also received service hours for community theatre, but not for the performances. They came on work days, did set construction, worked crew, worked strike, sold raffle tickets and fun raised, worked the Community Theatre booth at several of the city festivals (which entailed working with kids), organized the costumes, worked as runners, stuffed envelopes etc...</p>
<p>As above, my son "counted" community theater as service hours because they ask him to play in the pit (they always need a trumpet). Many of the pit players were paid - he wasn't; therefore he figured it was a service he had provided. He had other, more traditional, volunteer hours too though, so it wasn't like he had to have those hours to fulfill his graduation requirement.</p>
<p>I think it definitely counts as community service. A theatre can only work if a group pitches in. I'm sure your son was appreciated there more than you know!</p>
<p>DS also played in pit orchestras (in addition to his tech volunteer work). He listed his orchestra playing under music experience. He did not use that as community service hours...but I can't see any reason why you couldn't. DS did list times he played for civic events (4th of July, Town Hall gatherings, etc) as community service.</p>