Students Graduating in the 2020-2021 School Year
For students graduating in the 2020-21 school year, the community involvement graduation requirement has been reduced to a minimum of 20 hours of community involvement activities. This recognizes that graduating students have had barriers to earning their community involvement hours last school year and there may be continued barriers this school year.
Acceptable Hours for the 2020-2021 School Year - Exceptions For All Students
Students may wish to consider virtual volunteering, such as connecting with seniors, organizing virtual fundraising events and facilitating discussions with newcomer youth. Outdoor volunteer opportunities could include, for example, picking up litter.
Volunteer opportunities, such as connecting young people to be technology mentors to seniors, can be found through agencies such as Spark Ontario.
Students aged 14 years and older can count up to a maximum of 10 hours from paid employment towards their earned hours at the discretion of the principal. Students counting paid employment towards their graduation requirement will be required to complete a reflection exercise indicating how their work contributed to the service for others. (This option is available to any Grades 9-12 students who are over 14 years old.)
Click on the link below for the:
Employment Based Community Involvement Hours
All Other Students Who Are Not Eligible to Graduate in the 2020-2021 School Year
Students must complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities as part of the diploma requirements. The purpose of this requirement is to encourage students to develop an 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. Students will plan and select their community involvement activities in consultation with their parents and as part of the IPP (Individual Pathways Plan).
Although this diploma requirement applies to students in Grade 9 to 12, students in Grade 8 are able to start accumulating community involvement hours in the summer before they enter Grade 9. Students are encouraged to complete a minimum of 10 hours per year.
If students are unsure of whether the activity meets the requirements for eligiblity, please see a Guidance Counsellor for clarification.
Students may check the bulletin board titled "Community Involvement Hours" outside of the Guidance Office or view the binder in the Guidance Office for further details.
Mandatory Community Involvement Activity Record.pdf
or the Fillable Form:
As hours are completed, please record on the Mandatory Community Involvement Activity Record and submit to the Guidance Office.
For more information, visit the DDSB website: