Get your high school volunteer hours
Learn how you can volunteer in your community and get the hours you need to graduate.
What you need to graduate
You need 40 hours of community involvement activities (volunteering) to get your high school diploma.
Volunteering as part of your high school experience helps you:
- develop transferable skills
- explore different sectors and potential careers
- learn about your role as a citizen
- be aware of how you can support and strengthen your community
Adult learners: Your requirements may vary. Contact your school principal to learn more.
Minister’s Certificate of Recognition for Community Involvement
If you earn above and beyond your required 40 volunteer hours before graduation, you can earn a Minister’s Certificate of Recognition for Community Involvement.
This certificate:
- celebrates your dedication to helping others and recognizes your civic engagement, leadership and community spirit
- is optional and builds on the 40 hours you need to get your Ontario Secondary School Diploma
You can earn the certificate at 3 levels:
Bronze: 50 to 99 volunteer hours
Silver: 100 to 199 volunteer hours
Gold: 200+ volunteer hours
If you have completed the required hours, you’ll receive your certificate when you get your Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
If you are working toward your Ontario Secondary School Certificate or Certificate of Accomplishment, you can also earn a Minister’s Certificate of Recognition for Community Involvement if you have completed the required hours.
How the certificate can help you
The Minister’s Certificate of Recognition for Community Involvement can help you stand out when you apply for:
- jobs
- college or university programs
- apprenticeships
- scholarships
Including your volunteer work on your resumé or in your applications shows employers and schools that you’ve built real‑world skills, such as teamwork, communication and leadership. You can list:
- the organizations where you volunteered
- your role and responsibilities
- the skills you developed
- your Minister’s Certificate of Recognition as an achievement
Volunteer supervisors can also be strong references when you apply for jobs or programs.
Tips for job applications
Use your resumé and cover letter to highlight your volunteer experience by:
- creating a “Volunteer Experience” section in your resumé
- listing the organization, your role and the dates you volunteered
- describing what you did and what you learned (for example, teamwork, leadership, communication)
- asking your volunteer supervisor to be a reference for you
- highlighting your Minister’s Certificate of Recognition for Community Involvement in your cover letter
Example
Volunteer Experience
Food Bank Assistant, Food Bank – Toronto
September 2024 – June 2025
- Sorted and packed food hampers for over 300 families in need.
- Worked with a team of 10 volunteers to organize donation drives.
- Gained skills in time management, logistics, teamwork and customer service.
Tips for postsecondary applications
Application processes often require personal statements, essays and interviews that will ask about your experiences and goals. Volunteering helps you answer with real stories, genuine experiences and meaningful outcomes.
Highlight your volunteer work in personal statements, essays and interviews by:
- focussing on the outcomes you contributed to
- explaining how it connects to the program or opportunity
- asking your volunteer supervisor for a reference letter
Example
"Volunteering at a local seniors’ centre taught me how to connect with people across generations and improved my communication skills. Organizing weekly activities and helping with meal service gave me a leadership opportunity that made a real difference in the lives of the people I was there to support. These experiences inspired me to pursue a career in nursing, where I can continue to support and care for others in meaningful ways."
Get started in your community
You can start collecting volunteer hours in the summer before entering Grade 9.
Make sure you know your school board’s processes for recording, submitting and approving your hours. Your principal will review and approve your planned and completed volunteer activities.
Start by learning what types of activities qualify as volunteering and which don’t.
If you need a specific accommodation or support to participate in community involvement activities, tell your volunteering supervisor.
You and/or your parent or guardian can also talk to your school principal about your specific accommodation needs (for example, for an extenuating circumstance, a disability and/or special education need).
When you’re choosing ways to get involved, talk to your parent or guardian to help you plan. You can volunteer at different places to get your 40 hours. If you’re under 18, your parent or guardian must sign your record of volunteer hours.
Parents and guardians: We encourage you to help your child choose their activities. You can also contact the organization where they are volunteering or the school principal if you have questions or concerns.
Places you can volunteer
Check with your school board to see which volunteer settings are eligible. Examples of settings for community involvement activities may include:
- hospitals, long-term care, retirement homes and other health care institutions
- not-for-profit organizations
- veterans’ 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
If your chosen community involvement activity is not on your school board's list of approved activities, you will need to get approval from your principal using your school board’s established processes. You cannot choose an activity that appears on the ministry or school board list of ineligible activities.
Ineligible activities
These activities do not count towards the 40 hours you need to graduate.
They include activities that:
- are a requirement of a class, course or program that you are enrolled in (such as a co-op program)
- take place during school hours (not including lunch breaks or “spare” periods)
- would normally be done for wages or a salary by a person in that workplace or organization
- are duties that you would normally do in your home, such as daily chores, or personal recreation activities
- are part of a court-ordered program (for example, a community service program for young offenders)
You can’t volunteer in any positions or activities that break minimum working age requirements, applicable legislation, regulations or policies.
Your volunteer opportunity should not have you:
- operating a vehicle, power tools or scaffolding
- giving any type of medication or doing medical procedures
- handling “designated substances” such as arsenic, asbestos, lead or mercury
- involved in banking or the handling of securities or valuable items, such as jewelry, art or antiques
- needing the knowledge of a regulated tradesperson
- involved in activities that promote discrimination, harassment or put the safety of yourself or others at risk