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Work hard to get the best grades you can. Work harder to make those grades the least interesting thing about you.
Every student who begins secondary school in Ontario is required to complete a minimum 40 hours of community involvement in order to receive a diploma. The purpose of this requirement is to encourage students to develop an understanding of the various roles they can play in their community and to help them develop a greater sense of belonging within their community.
DSBN Community Involvement Manual
Places you can volunteer
Places you can volunteer
Community involvement activities may take place in a variety of settings such as:
local businesses
hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes and other health care institutions
not-for-profit organizations
public sector institutions, like your town, city or region
offices of local, provincial or federal government representatives
First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities or organizations
religious, cultural events and community activities
Check with your school board to see which volunteer settings are eligible.
Hour Republic Registration and How To's
Hour Republic Registration and How To's
Steps on How to Register for Hour Republic
How To Add Hours in Hour Republic
Community Involvement Slideshow Presentation
Current Volunteer Opportunities
Canadian Red Cross Digital Volunteers (ongoing)
Smiles for Seniors - Writing Letters to Make a Seniors Day (ongoing)St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre
We are always looking for enthusiastic and responsible volunteers who would like experience developing communication and instructing skills. Please complete the Aquatics Volunteer Application and an Aquatics Coordinator will reach out with more information.
As a volunteer, you'll get to help during our Lifesaving Society Swim for Life program. To qualify as a volunteer, you must be:
13 years of age with current Bronze Medallion certification
18 years of age with a Criminal Reference Check.
MCC Thrift
located at 254 Grantham Ave.,
welcomes students seeking volunteer service hours
Volunteer shifts are available Monday through Saturday:
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Thursdays and Fridays only)
Students can apply online:
Application Form: Volunteer Application Form: MCC Thrift - St. Catharines - Mennonite Central Committee Ontario
Website: St. Catharines – MCC Thrift Ontario
Applicants must provide three non-family references (teachers are welcome). Once an application is received, we contact the student and references, then schedule an hour and one half orientation covering a store tour, health and safety, and AODA training. Volunteers are placed in our Retail, Processing, or Receiving departments.
For volunteer community service hours we schedule the students once a week for either a 3.5-hour or 4-hour shift.
If you have any questions, please contact me at sherrymain@mcco.ca or 905-682-8944 ext. 4.
Teen Reviewer for the Public Library
Teen Reviewer for the Public Library
Attention St. Catharines high school students! You can become a Teen Reviewer for the library and earn volunteer hours by reviewing books, movies, video games and music! Earn volunteer hours toward your Secondary School diploma. Earn two volunteer hours per review, up to 20 hours total.
Click Here to Become a Teen Reviewer
Review books, movies, eBooks, digital audiobooks, graphic novels, music, and/or video games that are owned by the St. Catharines Public Library.
Complete and submit reviews from the comfort of your home at a time that best suits your schedule.
Eligibility
Ages 14-18
Resident of St. Catharines and library member
Volunteer Responsibilities
Write a meaningful and concise review consisting of 200-250 words.
Reviews must use inclusive and respectful language.
Reviews must adhere to SCPL values.
Each volunteer is responsible for ensuring that any paperwork regarding their volunteer hours is completed and submitted to their school.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Programming and Promotions department at teenvolunteers@myscpl.ca.
You give hope. You get purpose. Change their story and your own. Our volunteers contribute to an exceptional donor experience for blood and plasma donors so patients across Canada get the blood products they need.
What you’ll be doing:
Volunteering in a Canadian Blood Services donor centre is about connecting with donors. Your duties will include greeting donors with a warm smile, engaging in friendly conversations, and offering refreshments to create a comfortable and positive experience.
Volunteers Requirements:
- 16 years of age or older
- reliable
- social and comfortable talking to anyone
Volunteer Location and Commitment:
420 Vansickle Rd Unit E-05, St. Catharines
- Monday-Friday daytime or evening availability
- 6-12 hours/month
- minimum 4 month commitment
Volunteer with us and experience what you get when you give.
Contact: Lindsey.Rounds@blood.ca
Apply directly: https://bttr.im/ub8pn
Please contact Carrie McComb if you are interested in volunteering for the Salvation Army: carrie.mccomb@salvationarmy.ca
Volunteer Link
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES with Grantham Optimist
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES with Grantham Optimist
Fill in the Volunteer form from the website:
https://granthamoptimist.org/youth-%26-student-volunteer
Why Volunteer
Why Volunteer
Learn a new skill and meet new people;
Support local conservation projects;
Get outdoors and enjoy some physical activity;
Share your knowledge and skills with others;
Earn community service hours for your high school diploma;
Gain job experience and training.
WILD OUTSIDE
WILD OUTSIDE
Participation in the program contributes service hours towards student’s 40 hours of community service mandated for Ontario secondary schools so why not have fun while whilst doing it?
WILD Outside website: Canadian Wildlife Federation: WILD Outside (cwf-fcf.org)
What is WILD Outside?
WILD Outside is a year-round national conservation-based adult volunteer led, youth leadership program designed to mentor youth ages 15 to 18 in local environmental and conservation activities.
The Wild Outside program is for youths willing to participate in a minimum of 2 events per month designed to get youth out and active in the environment doing conservation or community service-related activities such as going on hikes, bird watching, gardening, canoe trips, helping maintain hiking paths, ice fishing, cross country skiing, listening to guest speakers, learning about career paths in conservation and literally hundreds of others with the CWF covering all associated costs.
Who is Eligible to Join?
Currently we are looking for youths in your area as we already have an established team in St. Catharines.
Youths 15-18 with a strong love of the outdoors and a willingness to work with as part of a team.
If you are interested in this opportunity, email: Pauld@cwf-fcf.org
Community Crew Volunteers can help to prep and pack the lunches, write notes of encouragement to the children, help out at events, advocate and so much more. Click the title link on the right, to get to the volunteer website page.
NEW this year! Check the Bulldog Bulletin for more information related specifically to how to input additional hours that can't be entered in Hour Republic.
Community Invovement Guidelines - When can one volunteer at/for a “business”?
The recent inclusion of the term “business” in the Ontario Ministry of Education’s community involvement guidelines marks a shift from the traditional view that volunteering only happens at charities or non-profit organizations.
The intent isn’t to provide businesses with free labour, but rather to recognize that “community benefit” can happen in many different settings.
When trying to gauge if an activity is eligible for community involvement hours one needs to focus on the nature of the activity. If a student helps a local business run a free community event (like a neighbourhood festival or a free workshop or a fundraiser with proceeds going to a charitable organization), that is seen as a civic contribution.
Local examples of businesses running events for which students can achieve community involvement hours = Rankin Construction supporting the Rankin Cancer Run; Verge Insurance charity bbqs supporting Hospice Niagara, Red Roof Retreat, United Way; Sullivan Mahoney LLP supporting various non-profit organizations and fundraising activities.
A student cannot perform tasks that would normally be done by a paid employee.
e.g. Volunteer Coaching for an XXX team.
If the XXX team is a for-profit business (e.g. a private athletics club) coaching is flagged as ineligible because it supports a commercial enterprise’s core service. If it is for a not-for-profit or community-based club, coaching is an eligible activity.
YES if it is a free community program or a subsidized youth outreach program run by a business as a service to the community and your role as an assistant coach is purely supportive and non-paid.
NO if it is a for-profit club or organization where parents pay for coaching/instruction. In this scenario, your role is seen as displacing a paid employee (a paid coach or assistant), which violates Ministry guidelines.
If in doubt, ask a Guidance teacher first.
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