Student Hub
For high school students working on the 40 volunteer hours you need to graduate in Ontario. Here's how the requirement works, and how to spend the hours on something you won't dread.
College and university students (Brock, Niagara College) can start with our post-secondary volunteering resources.
The five rules
Outside class time
Hours have to happen outside your scheduled class time. Evenings, weekends, lunch, PA days and summer all work.
Not for a credit
Volunteering that's part of a course (like co-op) doesn't count toward the 40.
Unpaid
If there's a paycheque attached, it counts as a job, and job hours don't qualify.
Can't replace a paid worker
You can help an organization, but you can't fill a position someone would normally be paid for.
Approved before you start
If an activity isn't on your school board's list, your principal has to approve it first. If you're under 18, a parent or guardian approves it too.
Done by end of Grade 12
All 40 hours need to be finished before you graduate. You can start July 1st right after Grade 8, which gives you four summers and four school years to work with. That's roughly 10 hours a year.
The fine print varies by school board. If you're unsure about something, ask your guidance office. They have the final say on what counts.
Looks similar, but only one counts
Two jobs can look almost identical and still land on opposite sides of the line. What usually decides it is who benefits: a business, or the community.
| Doesn't count | Counts |
|---|---|
| Volunteering at a landscaping company | Gardening at a church or community garden |
| Stocking shelves at a grocery store | Stocking shelves at a food bank |
| Shoveling snow at home | Shoveling snow for a neighbour who needs the support |
| Babysitting your own siblings | Child-minding at a community event |
Places that count
- hospitals, long-term care and retirement homes
- not-for-profits
- public sector institutions (city and region)
- local, provincial, or federal government offices
- First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities or organizations
- religious and cultural events
Never eligible
These are off the table no matter who asks, mostly for safety and liability reasons.
- Anything that's a requirement of a class, course or program the student is taking
- Anything during the student's class time on a school day
- Work that breaks the minimum age to work in or visit a workplace under Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Anything against another law, regulation or policy, or against your own organization's policies
- Work someone would normally be paid to do
- Driving or operating a vehicle, using power tools, or working on scaffolding
- Giving medication or any medical procedure to other people
- Handling designated substances under the Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Work that needs a tradesperson in a provincially regulated trade
- Banking, handling securities, or handling valuables like jewellery, art or antiques
- Chores normally done at home, or personal recreation
- Court-ordered programs
- Anything that promotes discrimination or harassment, or puts the student or others at risk
If you have an IEP, talk to your guidance counsellor. Accommodations are available for this requirement too.
Tracking your hours
Bring a sheet to every shift and get it signed before you leave. Chasing a supervisor for a signature three months later is miserable. Our printable log has columns for the date, the organization, what you did, hours, and a supervisor signature.
Download the hour log → (opens in a new tab)Questions high school students ask us
When can I start earning hours?
July 1st, right after you finish Grade 8. Lots of students knock out a big chunk that summer, before high school even starts.
How do I prove my hours?
Keep a log with the date, the organization, what you did, and a supervisor's signature. Our printable sheet has spots for all of it. Your school has an official form too, so ask your guidance office which one they want to see.
I go to a DSBN school. Where do I hand in my hours?
DSBN students submit completed hour forms to their school's guidance office, which records them toward graduation. Ask guidance for the official DSBN form and fill it in as you go. Handing in four years of hours in Grade 12 tends to go badly.
Can I split my hours across different organizations?
Yes. Mix and match as much as you like: a beach cleanup here, a food bank shift there. It all adds up to 40.
Does virtual volunteering count?
Usually yes, as long as it follows the same rules (unpaid, outside class time). If a specific posting looks like a grey area, run it by guidance before you start.
What if I'm under 14?
Some opportunities welcome younger volunteers when a parent comes along. Check each listing's minimum age, and filter by your age on the opportunities page.