Legal Definitions - community service

Community service is when someone does work for free that helps their community. Sometimes, a judge might order someone who has broken the law to do community service instead of going to jail. This is called court-ordered community service. Usually, people who have not been in trouble before and who did not commit a violent crime are chosen to do community service.

Community service can also be a way for students to learn and help their community at the same time. This is called educational community service. Students work with local organizations to improve the lives of people in their community. They might help with things like healthcare, education, or public safety.

For example, a student might volunteer at a hospital to help sick people. Or they might tutor kids who need help with their homework. These are both examples of educational community service because the student is learning while they help their community.