Ontario Secondary School Community Involvement Requirement

Since September, 1999 students in secondary school in Ontario have been required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of community service in order to receive a graduation diploma. These services may be completed at any time during the students' years in the secondary school program. The community involvement requirement is designed to encourage students to develop an awareness and understanding of their civic responsibility and the role they can play in supporting and strengthening their communities. The Biblical call to Christian service underlines our responsibility to serve others as we serve our Creator. As Christians we view all of life as lived in gratitude to our gracious God. Love for others flows from that. Reaching out to help others in our community is therefore and integral part of life as a child of God.

Community involvement activities

• may take place in a variety of settings, including businesses, not-for-profit organizations, (such as churches, the United Way), public sector institutions (hospitals, recreation centres) and informal settings (such as cutting grass for an elderly neighbour).
• Students may not fulfill the requirements through activities that are counted towards a credit (for example, cooperative education), through paid work, or by assuming duties that would normally be performed by a paid employee.
• The requirement must be completed outside of the students' normal instructional hours.
• The activity must be one that involves service to others and benefits the wider community, as opposed to a service that benefits the student personally or within his/her own family.

Students, along with their parents, are responsible for

• Arranging their own volunteer activities
• Obtaining a HCS Volunteer form from the Guidance Office, or from this website, providing accurate documentation of the activity and the signature of their supervisor
• Submitting the completed forms to the Guidance Office

The Guidance Office & HCS Administration will:

• Regularly inform the student of the volunteering requirement
• Assist students in discovering their gifts and interest in volunteering
• Advertise some volunteering opportunities, contact names, and numbers
• Maintain a record of the number of hours each student has completed
• Record the completed hours on the student's report cards and transcripts

Eligible Activities Guidelines

• an event or activity that is of benefit to the community
• an event or activity to support not-for-profit organizations
• structured programs to promote tutoring, mentoring, visiting, coaching, whose purpose is to assist others.
• an event or activity affiliated with a club, religious organization, arts or cultural organization, or political organization that seeks to make a positive contribution to the community
• an event or activity that promotes and contributes to the health and well-being of any group

Eligible Activities Examples

• Fundraising - Canvassing, walk-a-thons, gift wrapping, gala events and sales
• Sports/Recreation - coaching, organizing track meets, summer games, pool assistant
• Community Projects - food drives, support services, 4H clubs, Welcome Wagon
• Environmental - community cleanup, flower/tree planting, recycling
• Religious Activities - child-minding, helping with church programs
• Seniors/Disabled - assisting at a residence for seniors or persons with a disability
• Office/Clerical - reception, computer work, and mailings for individuals or groups providing charitable or community benefit
• Youth Programs - assisting with 4H, Scouts, Guides, drop-in centers
• Work with Animals - involvement with animal care, grooming, or work at a zoo or petting farm
• Arts & Culture - assisting at a gallery, performing music or involvement in a library program
• Activities for Individuals - activities involving seniors or handicapped persons such as shopping reading books and letters, snow shoveling, gardening; activities with young people such as tutoring, transcribing, reading buddies and respite care

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