You completed your service hours, got the forms signed, and … (Gulp) you lost the forms.  Maybe they’re at the bottom of your backpack somewhere, but then again, maybe not.  Oh boy.

If you have ever found yourself in this unfavorable situation, the answer to your prayers may be close at hand.  Thanks to Campus Ministry’s new service verification process x2VOL (Time to Volunteer) powered by Naviance, you can say goodbye to misplaced and disorganized service forms and hello to convenience at the tap of a cell phone screen.

“We felt that it was time to be able to simplify and digitalize verification,” said Margaret Hanley, Director of Christian Service.  “We have been dealing with the paper process of checking students’ service hours for a long time, and it has become troublesome for administrators, teachers and students.”

Beginning in early September, students will be able to keep track of their service hours in one place and skip the hassle of carrying around service forms to be signed.  Instead, they can pull out their cell phones and access the x2VOL app in order to plug in their volunteer hours immediately after they complete their service.

“The goal is to get the bookkeeping out of the way and focus more on how we interact with people through service,” said Religion teacher Jeffrey VanderWilt.

Here’s how it works:  As soon as you finish volunteering at your service organization, you will log on to the x2VOL app and plug in the service organization, number of hours you completed, and other minimal information.

At this point you can attach a short self-guided reflection and even upload pictures.  As soon as you submit your “log” for that day, your service organization will automatically receive an email and can verify your volunteer work that day by the click of a button.  This verification will go directly to Campus Ministry, and they can then verify your service as well.  Not too bad, right?

Voila!  Your proof of service is saved forever and there’s no need to worry about lost or forgotten service forms.  Not to mention, there are benefits to keeping everything in one place, especially for juniors and seniors who will eventually create a portfolio for their two-year Lumen Christi project.

Essentially, journal entries students submit with their hours on the x2VOL app or through Naviance will take the place of teacher-mandated paragraph reflections, necessary for the Lumen Christi service project, and allow students more freedom to question their service experiences.

“We encourage students to enter journal entries immediately after they complete their service,” Hanley said.  “That way, the experience is fresh in students’ minds and they can gain a richer sense of their service.  Students will be able to react in their own way to the service they just completed, and this implements what we’re really trying to accomplish.”

Tracking students down for incomplete service forms or non-approved service projects will become a thing of the past.  With x2VOL, Campus Ministry will be able to monitor approved and non-approved organizations (fundraisers don’t count for service!) and will over time accumulate a list of “posted” agencies that are in cooperation with the x2VOL system, eliminating any possible discrepancies that currently exist.

“It doesn’t completely eliminate problems, but definitely reduces them,” Hanley said.

Don’t worry if the volunteer organization at which you volunteer isn’t a “posted” agency, however; organizations can always be approved and added to the list by Campus Ministry.  Students will also be able to find service opportunities on the dashboard that are pre-approved.

“This new process makes what we do more transparent,” Hanley said.  “If students know that their service will be verified from the get-go, they will be less likely to take the easy way out.”

Not only does x2VOL make service verification easy, but it also takes the awkwardness out of asking your organization’s supervisor for his or her signature, as if the only reason you are volunteering is because you were forced (just smile and nod).

“I honestly never knew that students felt so bad about asking for signatures!” said Margie Diorio, Campus Ministry Administrative Assistant.

With the new technology thrust at SMCHS this year, a digital service verification process should fit in nicely and provide students with a more personalized service experience.

Keep an eye out for an email in the coming weeks from Camp Min, as they will be sending each student information regarding how to sign up for x2VOL.

For more information, visit x2vol.com.

Ready, set, VOL!