Community Involvement Hours

All students working towards an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) must complete 40 hours of Community Involvement.

Students can start accumulating their community involvement hours in the summer before entering Grade 9.

Many volunteer opportunities can be found through agencies such as Volunteer Durham and Youth Opportunities Ontario.

These hours spent in the community are meant to encourage students to:

  • Develop an awareness and understanding of civic responsibility
  • Understand the role they play and contributions they can make to support and strengthen the community
  • Learn more about themselves and possible career opportunities

Community Involvement Activity Record

Make sure you keep your Community Involvement Activity Record forms up-to-date with the proper information and signatures. You must submit your completed records to your school for data entry. Please click here to download a copy.

Requirements

These community activities must:

  • Be completed outside scheduled class time;
  • Not be a part of a credit course;
  • Be unpaid;
  • Total a minimum of 40 hours; and
  • Be complete by the end of Grade 12.

Eligible Activities

Please see a list of eligible and ineligble volunteer activities for students:

Help your community, neighbours and school:

  • Volunteer placement in a structured community-based volunteer organization, such as hospitals, churches, service clubs or libraries.
  • Take part in environmental initiatives such as cleaning and recycling operations, park cleanup, planting trees and flower beds (Note: students should not use power tools - lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, wood chippers, etc.).
  • Get involved in charitable activities such as walk-a-thons, canvassing for organizations, gift wrapping, gala events, etc.
  • Coach sports teams such as community leagues and parks and recreation programs.
  • Undertake a leadership role to help community groups such as Guides/Scouts, 4-H Club, etc.
  • Assist with literacy initiatives at local libraries, day care centres, or community centres.
  • Religious activities such as participating in parish life, programs for children, Sunday School assistant, etc.
  • Assist at a senior home/centre by visiting, reading, playing cards or board games, crafts, or taking seniors for walks.
  • Help organize local community events such as food drives, fairs, carnivals, Special Olympics, etc.
  • Provide service to seniors such as raking, shovelling, shopping, visiting, reading, or meal preparation.
  • School-based community involvement activities that are not tied to an academic credit and are open to any student i.e. organize blood drives.
  • Help in the library, including shelving books, tidying up, or changing bulletin boards.
  • Facilitate school events such as parent information nights.
  • Assist with environmental activities such as recycling, planting trees, groundskeeping, etc.
  • Participate in charitable initiatives such as food drives or holiday toy drives.

The below activities are ineligible: 

  • An activity that is a requirement for a course in which student is enrolled.
  • Takes place during instructional time.
  • Duties or obligations performed at home.
  • Babysitting, except in cases of exceptional need which has been pre-approved by the Guidance Department.
  • Personal recreational activities.
  • Activities for a court-ordered program (i.e. probation).
  • Work for a workplace or a commercial business.
  • Work for a political party or individual candidate.
  • Work for a payment.
  • Work normally one for wages by another person.
  • Activities involving the handling of substances classed as "designated substances" by the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
  • Activities requiring the knowledge of a tradesperson whose trade is provincially regulated.
  • Activities involving banking or handling of securities, jewellery, works of art, antiques and other valuables.