MCPS has shared that ten Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) have been named among 50 schools nationwide to receive Youth Service America’s (YSA) 2026 Gold Ribbon Schools in Service Learning recognition, an honor recognizing schools for their commitment to student service learning, civic engagement, and community involvement.
The recognition highlights schools where students identify community needs, work with local organizations, and develop solutions to real-world challenges through volunteer service and community projects. Montgomery County schools accounted for 20% of the 50 schools recognized nationwide. The 10 MCPS schools receiving the recognition are:
Damascus High School
William H. Farquhar Middle School
Gaithersburg High School
Quince Orchard High School
Redland Middle School
Ridgeview Middle School
Shady Grove Middle School
Odessa Shannon Middle School
Julius West Middle School
Earle B. Wood Middle School
Maryland students are required to complete 75 student service learning (SSL) hours to earn a high school diploma, and many MCPS students go well beyond that requirement. During the 2025-2026 school year, five of the recognized schools reported 100% student participation in service learning activities, with projects focused on food insecurity, environmental sustainability, civic engagement, and community outreach.
Among the highlights shared by MCPS, Gaithersburg High School reported that students collectively completed 187,069 SSL hours, including one student who accumulated 2,202.5 hours and 94 students who completed at least 240 hours each. At Quince Orchard High School, 12 graduating seniors each completed more than 500 SSL hours, contributing a combined 7,679.5 hours of community service.
Julius West Middle School reported a record 168 eighth-grade students, representing 38.1% of the class, who earned the Maryland State Student Service Learning Award. At Odessa Shannon Middle School, the percentage of eighth graders who completed the full 75-hour graduation requirement increased from approximately 6% to 52%. Students at the school also help support a monthly fresh food market serving approximately 120 families.
At William H. Farquhar Middle School, students organized a clothing drive that collected more than 3,000 items for community members in need. The recognition follows another national honor for MCPS in 2025, when the school system was one of just six districts nationwide to receive YSA’s National Gold Ribbon School District in Service Learning designation.
