Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller’s Office Offers Year-Round Program to Earn Community Service Hours

The Palm Beach County’s Clerk and Comptroller’s Office is recruiting candidates for their volunteer program that allows high school students to earn their required community service hours any time during the year. Although some of the slots are available throughout the year officials say there tend to be a few additional opportunities during the summer.

Students who would like to participate in the program will need to attend one of five orientations: April 29 and May 13 at 3:00 p.m.; May 13 at 9:30 a.m.; June 10 and 24 at 9:30 a.m. All students are required to pass a background check, and students between the ages of 15 and 17 must provide parental consent. Senior employment specialist Patricia Chaparro says the opportunity is an excellent one for young people to gain insight into the workings of the Clerk and Comptroller’s Office. “These students learn details and processes that many adults don’t understand because they haven’t had the chance to see them first-hand like these volunteers will,” she stated.

These and comparable experiences are only available to District students through the partnership efforts of community allies such as the Clerk and Comptroller’s Office. “We recognize that there’s more to education than simply learning content, said Senior Employment Specialist Patricia Chaparro. “This opportunity provides personal experiences in the whole civic process and teaches work world skills and behaviors,” she said. Research has proven that work-world exposures reinforce student academic achievement and encourages high school completion.

Students will learn:
• Business etiquette
• Data entry
• Alphabetical and numerical filing
• Organization of legal pleadings. (Approximately 15, 000 pleadings are received weekly)
• Effective listening skills
• Accuracy through attention to detail
• Organizational skills
• Use of office equipment
• Courthouse software applications, and more.

Participants also benefit because the internships reinforce the character education pillars of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship through real-world interactions and situations. Last year’s programs included students from high schools around the District including those in the western communities and the Clerk and Comptroller’s Office is hoping for a similar response this year.

Interested students should apply here:
http://www.pbcountyclerkcareers.com/palmbeach/jobboard/listjobs.aspx

For more information about volunteering at the Clerk’s office, visit:
http://www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/volunteer.aspx

To read the latest news release about the Clerk’s volunteer program, visit:
http://www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/2010-4-19-clerk_volunteers_save_taxpayers_thousands.aspx

For details not found at the preceding links, contact Ms. Chaparro, 561-355-2257, or email PChaparro@mypalmbeachclerk.com.