I’m really excited about this initiative within high schools to move away from quotas of volunteer hours and toward meaningful projects that impact those schools’ immediate communities. I can’t tell you how many college applications I’ve seen that yammer on and on about the value of community service, and yet the hundreds of hours those students have racked up hardly represent the work of kids who have a heart for their communities.

It seems counterintuitive that the wealthiest communities—those with the most to spare—would be least inclined to find projects that have large impact on those with real need, and yet that seems to be the case. Anything that alludes to a move towards authenticity and service gets a thumbs-up from me.

Good Deeds: The Backlash –NY Times