To get your high school diploma in Ontario, you need to complete 40 hours of volunteer or community service. However, many of the opportunities to earn volunteer hours have been closed or postponed during the pandemic. So, the government has adjusted the requirements for current high school students. This post contains answers to your questions about volunteer hour requirements for the current and upcoming school years.
Adjusted volunteer hour requirements for current high school students
If you graduate in June 2022 – you need 20 hours of volunteer service to earn your high school diploma – not the typical 40 hours! The reason is simple – pandemic restrictions made it almost impossible for this year’s graduating class to volunteer in our community. In addition, students in grades 9-12 can submit 10 hours of paid work towards their volunteer hours until the 2022-2023 school year begins. So record those hours now before it’s too late!
There are many ways to earn your community service hours before the 2022-2023 school year, such as:
- Volunteering at school or within the school community through clubs, teams, etc.
- Volunteering at home by doing chores, babysitting, etc.
These can be used in conjunction with typical opportunities offered by non-profit organizations, charities and parishes. Talk to your school’s guidance counsellor before setting out to complete these hours, and make sure you record and submit your hours before the end of the school year.
What will change for students in the 2022-2023 school year?
The number of volunteer hours required to earn a high school diploma will revert to 40 in the 2022-2023 school year. Read our Community Involvement page for more information about requirements, tips and ideas to complete your hours, as well as eligible community involvement activities.
Read more posts from this high school series
This is part of a series of posts focused on high school at the OCSB.
- Catholic High Schools in Ottawa – Ready For High School Issue 1
- Managing your High School career
- What is SHSM?
- Starting an apprenticeship
- What is the Dual Credit Program?
- What is Co-Op?