Logo: Avon Maitland District School Board
The Avon Maitland District School Board is easing community service requirements, for secondary students to graduate.
In the fall, the Ministry of Education reduced the needed community service hours for graduation from 40 hours down to 20.
To further reduce workload on students seeking volunteer opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMDSB says up to 10 hours of paid employment can be counted toward community service.
Students who put paid employment toward their community service hours will be required to complete a reflection exercise indicating how their work contributed to the service of others.
Secondary students can also accrue hours through duties normally performed in the home, with principal approval, as well as earn hours during the time allotted for the instructional program on a school day.
Some safe community service options suggested by the AMDSB include:
- Virtual tutoring to help students with reading, communication and/or other skills
- Teaching online music or dance lessons
- Conversing with seniors virtually, for example, acting as technology mentors or providing a regular check-in to address isolation and build cross-generational friendships
- Supporting a family by walking a younger child to and from school
- Taking part in a neighbourhood litter-pick-up hour
- Shovelling snow and/or performing yard work for a family or neighbour’s family due to
extenuating circumstances