Community Involvement

Community Involvement  

As part of the diploma requirements, students must complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities.  These activities may be completed at any time during their years in the secondary school program. 

The community involvement requirement is designed to encourage students to develop awareness and understanding of civic responsibility and of the role they can play in supporting and strengthening their communities.  The requirement will benefit communities, but its primary purpose is to contribute to students’ development.  It will provide opportunities for students to learn about the contributions they can make to the community. 

Students, in collaboration with their parents, will decide how they will complete the community involvement requirement.  Community service placements must be approved by the school.  Students may use their annual education plan to identify possible activities to undertake. 

Community involvement activities may take place in a variety of settings, including business, not-for-profit organizations, public sector institutions (including hospitals), and information settings.  Students may not fulfill the requirements through activities that are counted towards a credit (cooperative education and work experience, for example), through paid work, or by assuming duties normally performed by a paid employee. 

The requirement is to be completed outside the student’s normal instructional hours – that is, the activities are to take place in student’s designated lunch hours, after school, on weekends, or during school holidays. 

Students will maintain and provide a record of their community involvement activities.  Completion of the required 40 hours must be confirmed by the organizations or persons supervising the activities.  Documentation attesting to the completion of each activity must be submitted to the principal by the student.  This documentation must include, for each activity, the name of the person or organization receiving the service, the activity performed, the dates and hours, the signatures of the student and his or her parents, and a signed acknowledgement by the person (or a representative of the organization) involved.  The principal will decide whether the student has met the requirements of both the ministry and the board for these activities.  Students and parents can view a copy of the board’s document “Community Involvement:  A Guide for Students, Parents & Community Sponsors”, at www.tbcdsb.on.ca  Students will share this information with the sponsor of the community involvement activity.  

The GUIDE details the following:

·         purpose of the community involvement requirement

·         responsibilities of the School Board, Principal, Student, Parent, Community Sponsor

·         information regarding liability insurance

·         the Ministry’s list of ineligible activities

·         the Board’s list of ineligible and eligible activities

·         the community involvement form