Community Involvement
Information Regarding Volunteer Hours for Secondary Students (COVID19)
All high school students from grades 9-11 (including students who are completing grade 8 in June 2020) are encouraged to continue to accumulate community involvement hours this summer, provided they meet safety recommendations set out by local health authorities (EOHU and Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit).
We understand that some volunteer opportunities may not be available this summer, so we encourage you to think about creative ways to support the community that do not put you or others at risk. This may include volunteer activities that can be completed at home or online. Some examples of possible activities include:
- A letter-writing campaign to seniors living in a nursing or retirement home
- Delivering groceries to elderly/immunocompromised neighbours or family members who do not want to go to busy grocery stores
- Sewing masks to donate to social agencies
- Virtual tutoring to help students, (including ESL students) practice reading, communication and/or other skills
Students may also contact a charitable organization in their community to explore current volunteer opportunities.
During this time, it may be difficult for students to obtain a signature from their community involvement activity supervisor, so the exception has been made from June to August 2020 to allow a parent or guardian to sign for hours. Students should still include the name and phone number or email address of someone other than a parent who can verify the activity and hours completed. Students are asked to have their Community Involvement Record of activities that are completed over the summer submitted to their school by September 15, 2020. The form can be found under Resource Downloads on this page.
If you have any questions about Community Involvement Hours including whether or not an activity is acceptable, please contact your Guidance Counsellor before June 25th.
Community Involvement Program
As stated in Ontario Secondary Schools, Grades 9 to 12: Program and Diploma Requirements, every student must complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities as part of the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).The purpose of the community involvement requirement is to encourage students to develop awareness and understanding of civic responsibility and of the role they can play and the contributions they can make in supporting and strengthening their communities.
To assist students, parents and sponsors with this requirement, the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario has prepared a guide, available on this page under Resource Downloads.
NOTE: Effective July 1, 2011, students are able to start accumulating community involvement hours in the summer before they enter grade 9.
Record of Community Involvement
Each student needs to maintain a record of their community involvement and record details on the Completion of Community Involvement Activities form. For more information, and a copy of the form, please download a copy of the Community Involvement Activities Information Package.