The Silver Cord Award is a distinguished service award available to students who complete at least 100 hours of community service/volunteering while attending MCC. In recognition of this achievement, recipients will receive a silver cord to wear with their robes during graduation. Students can organize their own volunteer work or get connected with opportunities.
Silver Cord Award Guidelines
- 100 hours required
- Nonprofit agency or government agency
- Has adult supervision
Apply for the Silver Cord Award
Defining Acceptable Volunteer Work
- Volunteer work must be completed with a nonprofit or government agency.
- An adult employed by the organization or an established volunteer recognized by the organization must supervise you. Family members and/or fellow students cannot act as the supervisor, nor can they verify volunteer hours.
- You may receive one hour of volunteer work for participating in the blood drive held at MCC once a semester.
- You may receive volunteer hours for assisting with an MCC campus event, as long as you are not compensated for your time.
- You may receive volunteer hours for helping at religious institutions as long as those hours do not include participation in a religious service or teaching religion.
Hours toward the Silver Cord Award may not be
- With an organization you belong to that pays you for the volunteer work.
- Reported to satisfy a scholarship requirement (such as the Presidential Scholarship, etc.).
- Court-ordered Community Service.
- Rendered directly to a for-profit institution or organization.
- Supportive of a political campaign.
- Awarded for any in-kind or monetary donations of any type, including food drives, toy collections, etc.
- Travel time to and from the activity.
- Sleeping or personal recreation hours during volunteer service time.
- Completed during the time you're scheduled to be in class.