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.
Your volunteer experiences can also be used to demonstrate Professionalism in your e-portfolio.
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.
- You must be supervised by an adult who is employed by the organization or is an established volunteer who is recognized by the organization. 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 that you belong to that receives any type of compensation 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 activity.
- Sleeping or personal recreation hours during volunteer service time.
- Completed during the time you're scheduled to be in class.