PHS Class of 2026 provides 6,400+ hours of community service
Posted June 8, 2026
Members of the Plymouth High School Class of 2026 – the first to have a community service requirement for graduation – completed more than 6,400 hours of community service during their four years in high school.
“Students at PHS have tremendously busy schedules between work, family, school, extracurriculars, etc., but it is nice to see that they are able to fit in time to give back to our community,” PHS Principal Joe Brandl said.
All 166 members of the PHS Class of 2026 completed the 25-hour requirement, averaging about 38.5 hours. About 60 students logged more than 30 hours – and one served 450 hours!
Students helped at nursing homes, Generations, Plymouth Public Library, Project Angel Hugs, Rocky Knoll, Mental Health America, Project Camo Quilts, Salvation Army, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, elementary school fun fairs, Road America, food banks, and many more places.
“Students have enjoyed their service hours, for the most part, because they get to choose tasks that are enjoyable to them,” said PHS teacher Laura Koebel, who coordinates the effort for the school.
Ms. Koebel maintains a database with a range of volunteer opportunities. “If they are artistic, then they could work on drawing cards for nursing home residents,” she said. “If they like hands-on activities, then there are yard work or painting projects they could do.”
Because senior year is so busy, PHS recommends that students complete their hours prior to their junior year if possible. Ms. Koebel encouraged students and parents to be thinking about volunteer opportunities this summer.
Students are encouraged to go beyond the 25-hour minimum. They have the opportunity to record their hours with an organization called Innerview and receive United Nations service award certificates.
“Our hope is that students enjoy doing service and will want to continue volunteering into adulthood,” Ms. Koebel said.
The community has appreciated the effort, Mr. Brandl said. “There have been numerous groups that have reached out and thanked the school for showing our students that volunteering is a lifelong opportunity that benefits so many,” he said.
