Graduating students will require a minimum of 40 hours of community service to earn their Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Christian community service provides an opportunity for students to grow in their faith and develop an understanding of our role as followers of Christ.
Completing community service hours
Students can start earning their hours from July 1 (after they finish Grade 8) until the end of Grade 12.
Benefits of community service
Students benefit from completing the hours by:
- developing moral and ethical responsibility to our community;
- understanding and accepting social and civic responsibility;
- accessing opportunities for intellectual development;
- developing peer leadership and mentoring skills;
- gaining a better understanding of multicultural and equity issues;
- building confidence in social situations; and
- gaining work experience and career awareness.
Read our student testimonials below to learn about DCDSB student's experience with community service:
"At St. Mary, I've been on Student Council for two years, last year as the Secretary and this year as the Vice President. I am also a Retreat Leader and a member of one of our ten initiatives, International Outreach, where we raise awareness and funds for international causes and communities. Outside of school, I am a black belt and Sensei in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, and I completed the 40 required community service hours in a retirement home. I am very grateful for opportunities to take on leadership roles and to actively volunteer as it encourages healthy living, self-improvement, and a stronger community. I recommend community involvement to any student as it connects you to many new perspectives that can fully support your growth as an individual, all while giving back to your community and gaining life-changing experiences."
- Frizelle, Grade 12, St. Mary Catholic Secondary School
"I like volunteering because it humbles me in a way just being with the kids and coaching them, when they accomplish something great in a drill or when they make a shot, reminds me when I was like that and it feels so wholesome every time I see the kids come in the gym and full of joy and excitement, it really makes me happy seeing them happy, and that's honestly what matters, doing what they love and just making new friends, having them feel comfortable in general. These are the main reasons why I like volunteering, spreading happiness to the kids that need it most."
- Ezra, Grade 12, Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School
"Getting involved in a variety of community service experiences allowed me to participate in many different opportunities within my community. I became active in my community's public library, volunteered with a teen advisory group, mentored younger students at my school and helped with non-profit groups like Hearth Place. My community service experience helped me develop a variety of skills including leadership, communication and problem solving."
- Isabella, Grade 12, Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School
Acceptable activities for earning hours
There are many ways students can obtain community involvement hours. In order to ensure the activity will be acceptable, students should speak with their school prior to starting. The following list offers examples of ways students could earn community involvement hours, while developing awareness and understanding of civic responsibility.
- Providing tutoring and mentorship supports through:
- Virtual tutoring to help students with reading, communication and/or other skills
- Teaching online music or dance lessons
- Hosting art classes for younger students
- Assisting siblings and/or younger students with online learning and schoolwork
- Connecting with and supporting seniors by:
- Conversing with seniors virtually, for example, acting as technology mentors or providing a regular check-in to address isolation and build cross-generational friendships
- Joining or creating a letter-writing campaign to seniors
- Delivering groceries to elderly/immunocompromised neighbours
- Supports for families, neighbourhoods and community initiatives:
- Supporting a family by walking a younger child to and from school
- Participating in donation pick-ups for not-for-profit organizations
- Coordinating a donation event with a local organization such as a shelter
- Facilitating discussions with newcomer youth or families to help them learn about their new community
- Sewing masks to donate to social agencies
- Shovelling snow and/or performing yard work for a family or neighbour’s family due to extenuating circumstances
- Taking part in neighbourhood litter-pick-up hour
- Utilizing social media to connect with their community by:
- Organizing a virtual reading or math activity for their feeder elementary schools
- Creating a transition support video for Grade 8 students
- Doing a musical performance that could provide entertainment for seniors
- Encouraging people to donate through various social media platforms to food banks or other not-for-profit organizations
- Creating a flyer for promotion on social media for a local cause
Resources
Check out the following resources to help you find Community Involvement opportunities.
- Volunteer Durham website for Community Service opportunities;
- Ministry of Education Policy/Program Memorandum 124: Ontario Secondary School Diploma requirement: community involvement activities