About the Wolverine Guard

Wolverine Guard (WG) is a Bellevue High PTSA sponsored award that recognizes students who perform 100+ hours of community service in the 12-month period from May 1st to April 30th of each school year. Each student who reports 100 or more approved hours will earn the Wolverine Guard Community Service Award. 

View the  list of recent Wolverine Guard Recipients.

The new “year” for Wolverine Guard hours began May 1, 2024 and goes until April 30, 2025. You can start doing those volunteer hours now and proudly help the community.

• • ALL BHS students from 9-12 grades are eligible for WG should they meet the requirements.
  • Students who have earned 2+ years of WG will qualify for a WG blue/gold honor cord with blue/gold tassel at graduation.
  • Students who have earned 4 years of WG will qualify for a WG blue/gold honor cord with a special gold tassel at graduation. These students will be awarded the Wolverine Guard Distinction Community Service Award and their certificates will indicate their 400+ hours of service. These students will be recognized as part of the events for graduating seniors prior to graduation day.
  • An End of Year celebration for all WG recipients will be held, which will include certificate presentations (usually during the Rumble in June).

Guidelines and Instructions

In general, community service is defined as the giving of one’s time, talents, energy and/or expertise without compensation to benefit unrelated persons.  This can include long-term, short-term or one-time only service. In most cases, students will be working under or with a larger nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status.  

Volunteering offers numerous advantages not only for organizations but also for the students involved in community service. Students benefit by acquiring new skills and knowledge, meeting new and diverse people, and making new friends. They gain a deeper understanding of different perspectives, explore new interests, and discover passions they can pursue and share. Volunteering also fosters personal growth, self-confidence, and self-esteem, while enhancing organizational skills. It provides a sense of personal fulfillment and purpose, and allows students to actively engage with and contribute to their community.

Some examples of the types of organizations that students have worked with for WG are: non-profit organizations, hospitals, nursing homes, religious organizations, schools, youth sports organizations, food banks, philanthropic organizations and so on.  There are countless other ways that students can earn WG credit.  However, NOT all volunteer service is counted towards WG hours. Guidelines specific to WG include: 

• All WG applications must include volunteer time logs. Time logs should list detailed break-down of hours and include signed signatures from volunteer coordinators. We do not accept digital signatures on the time logs. Please submit an application only after all the hours have been completed and signed, no application will be reviewed unless all the hours are included in the submission.
• Volunteering is done through a non-profit organization (usually a 501c3 organization).
• The PTSA WG program is separate from the Bellevue School District volunteer hours requirement for graduation. We DO NOT coordinate with Naviance and will only accept Wolverine Guard time logs.
• Application is due midnight on April 30th, 2025. No late application will be accepted!

• Generally, parents cannot sign WG hours for their own children, further, parents or family members with students in the organization cannot sign off on WG hours for anyone. Instead, students must get an unrelated adult from the supervising organization to sign their time log form. Additionally, we do not accept hours that are signed off by other students of the same organization.

• Students who hold positions in non-profit organizations cannot have another student’s parent sign the time log forms. Time log forms can only be signed by authorized representatives of the community organization benefitting from your volunteer service. This cannot be your own non-profit organization.
• For a volunteer project that is over consecutive days, a maximum of 10 hours PER day may be counted. Examples include mission trips, counseling at a sleepaway camp or international service projects.
• Hours spent in travel are not counted; for example, travel days to and from mission trips or international service projects.
• WG credit is not given for any activity where a student is paid or receives school credit. Examples include babysitting or giving music lessons or working as an Office TA or in the Career Center at BHS.
• No WG credit is given for any religious ceremony or rite of passage.
• WG credit can be given for musical or theatrical performances that are community service oriented, such as performances that are for charitable fundraising or for school events such baccalaureate. Participation in school performances that fulfill class requirements (such as for band or orchestra or choir) do not count for WG.  Also, as a general rule, school and community plays and concerts, while of great benefit and enjoyment to the community, do not count for WG.
• No WG credit is given for career-oriented internships that are for personal gain as opposed to serving the community.
• In support of promoting civic engagement, WG credit can be given for involvement in voter registration or get-out-the-vote events or activities, but not for volunteering for specific candidates or campaigns.
• A MAXIMUM of 25 hours of volunteer service completed WITHIN Bellevue High School organizations will be accepted for WG. This includes, but is not limited to, National Honor Society, ASB, Class Office, Link Crew, Key Club, in-school tutoring, helping in the athletic department, assembly recording, etc.
• A MAXIMUM of 65 hours of volunteer service completed as a BSD school camp volunteer will be accepted for WG. This includes Camp Orkila.
• 9th Grade students can include eligible community service hours from 1 May of the same year they commence at Bellevue High School (in September).
• Usually, volunteering is done through a non-profit organization (which has a 501C3 tax status). Sometimes a student will volunteer through a corporation or other enterprise on behalf of a non-profit group. An example of what would be acceptable is when a student volunteers for a company or corporation doing a clean-up day for a park, school, or temple. Hours will NOT count toward WG UNLESS those hours can be explicitly shown to be for activities where the for-profit organization DOES NOT profit.  
• Wolverine Guard will continue to evaluate its mission and make changes to organizations that are acceptable on a yearly basis. Organizations or activities that were previously approved do not mean it will be automatically accepted during the current year. If applicants are unsure as to whether certain organizations or volunteer activities will qualify for WG, they should contact the WG co-chairs at wolverineguard@bellevuehighptsa.com for clarification. It is best to clarify an organization’s eligibility or whether the activity you are undertaking qualifies for WG PRIOR to undertaking volunteer service hours that you want to be counted towards your WG application.

The PTSA’s Wolverine Guard Award is separate from the Bellevue School District’s volunteer hours graduation requirement.  However, hours that are earned to meet graduation requirements can count toward WG.  BSD volunteer hours are submitted via Naviance/x2Vol.  WG hours are recorded on a WG Time Log form and submitted via email to wolverineguard@bellevuehighptsa.com.  The Counseling Office, which verifies volunteer hours submitted through Naviance, will not report these hours to WG.  That is the applicant’s responsibility.

Please note that Wolverine Guard hours are subject to approval. Usually, volunteer hours need to be done for an organization with 501(c)(3) status.

Download Forms

To download the file, first click the link below and then click File > Download on your browser.  

Download the WG Time Log Form

Download the WG Application Form

 

HOW TO SUBMIT A WOLVERINE GUARD APPLICATION

1. The “Wolverine Guard Application” form and the “Wolverine Guard Time Log” form can be found on the PTSA website (under BHS PTSA Programs).
2. Applications will be accepted electronically. Completed applications, including the WG Application form and all WG Time Log forms, should be emailed to wolverineguard@bellevuehighptsa.com.
3. A confirmation email will be sent to each applicant within 5 business days to confirm that their application has been received. If an applicant does not receive a confirmation email within that time frame, they should email wolverineguard@bellevuehighptsa.com to follow up.
4. All forms MUST be turned in by midnight on April 30^th, 2025.
5. No late applications will be accepted. Students should plan to submit early in order to avoid last-minute complications (sickness, family emergency, etc.).
6. If any applicants are unable to submit their application online, they may contact wolverineguard@bellevuehighptsa.com prior to April 30^th to make alternate arrangements.

Please ensure it is the student who communicates directly with us and be the sender of Wolverine Guard application. Since Wolverine Guard is to recognize the efforts of students, we ask that students advocate for themselves, preparing for life beyond HS.

We are here to help you!!  Please contact the WG co-chairs Michelle Pflaum and Sherry Fang at wolverineguard@bellevuehighptsa.com with your questions.